Bouncing Baby Bunnies
by Kurai-Tenshi-015
Summary: Fever and Aster have been through a lot together. They've protected the world from evil, gotten over their competitiveness with each other… kind of, and they have even settled into a stable relationship that makes them both extremely happy. But they have yet to take on one of the biggest hurdles in either of their lives: parenthood. BunnyxOC. Sequel to "A Fine Line."
1. something's not right

**Author's Note: **Hello, old and new friends! This is the sequel to "A Fine Line," so I very much suggest you read that story first if you haven't done so. "Bouncing Baby Bunnies" will make a lot more sense that way. But if you refuse and want to read this one first then, well… who am I to stop you? Anyway, let's get this show on the road!

**WARNING: **This story isn't quite as smut-tastic as "A Fine Line," but there _are_ lemons throughout. So if you don't like Bunny on human banging, then you might not want to read this.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from Rise of the Guardians.

Bouncing Baby Bunnies

Chapter 1:

"You're doing something different." Val says for what seemed like the twentieth time. Fever just barely manages to take a deep breath and count to ten before replying.

"I told you, I'm not." She stares at her fingertips and creates the same warmth that she had been using since her rebirth. They glow a light red and tingle, but she sighs as she senses that the heat is definitely stronger. She had been working with Val for the last month and both of them had become frustrated with her inability to control her power. Val had gotten tired of it because he could feel the tension between the couples when they suddenly lost it, and he would have to find a way to solve the problems that their bouts of premature lust cause in their relationships. Fever was just upset because it was making her feel like a novice spirit again. Also, the fact that she didn't know what was causing it was driving her just as crazy as her partner.

"Obviously something is wrong. Here, try it again." He reaches out a hand and Fever sighs and raises her own, touching their fingers together. However, this time she is unable to create even a tiny spark, and she growls and swats Val's hand away in irritation.

"Damn it, what is going on with me?"

"I've never heard of this happening." He mumbles in confusion, watching her focus back on her hands. Every now and then they would glow red again, but then it would become out of control. Either she wasn't able to do anything, or it was way too much. "Maybe you're losing juice?"

"Why would that happen, Val?" She asks tiredly, and he just shrugs in response. "I've been doing this for over a century. I shouldn't have any problems."

"Anything new happen lately? Something that would have made you unfocused?"

"No. Nothing." Fever sighs, and kicks at the ground dejectedly. "Maybe I should go home and search the archives for any information."

"Okay."

She gives him a small wave and then teleports back to Cyprus, the dimension where Val had made his home, and eventually had allowed her to stay when they began to work together. Usually coming to such a familiar place was soothing, but there were too many unanswered questions in her mind to revel in the clouds and towers that made up her home. She quickly makes her way to the library and takes off her weapons in an attempt to get more comfortable. Multiple book cases tower over her, filled from top to bottom with books of varying sizes. Fever walks over to one of them that is full of the historical documents about spirits, and pulls a thick book off of the shelf, glancing over the cover that holds an engraving of a cherub.

By the fifth hour of reading she gives up. All she had found was legends and truths about how the spirits came to be born, and only some paragraphs were about her own type. There was absolutely no information about a spirits' powers declining aside from the regular culprit that affected the Guardians. That did not make her feel better.

Fever sighs and closes the book, waving away the cloud of dust that is raised from the pages. She puts the book back on the shelf and stands there for a moment, searching the other spines for any hint of useful information. Val had told her that their archives were complete, and had all knowledge about their kind that was needed. Obviously he was wrong… unless she was the first spirit to have this problem. The thought made dread fill her gut, and she wondered if it was possible that she was just losing her touch as Val had said. But there would have been something in the books about it. That pointed to a different reason, one that was seemingly impossible to determine. Fever feels her temples throb with the beginning of a headache, and decides to just go _home._

xoXox

Aster is already asleep when she gets there, a fact which she decides to take as a blessing. It meant that she didn't have to bother him with her mood. She didn't want him worrying, and since she didn't even know what was causing her fluctuating powers it made no sense to bring it up until she had answers. She gets dressed for bed and curls up into Aster's side, closing her eyes and instantly feeling content. He shifts slightly in his sleep at feeling the bed dip, and she smiles.

It seemed so long ago that they could hardly be in a room without bickering, if not even yelling at each other. It was crazy to think that those irate feelings turned into attraction, and eventually love. They had been an item for almost two years, and so far everything had been great. Aside from the occasional nothing fight which all couples experienced when coed living arrangements commenced, they were both very happy.

Aster had been extremely accommodating in allowing her to stay in his private sphere. She could tell from the moment they began dating that he was a more reserved and isolated person compared to the rest of the Guardians. He enjoyed being in the Warren tending to the life that he had created. She had assumed that they would each live separately for a bit, her in Cyprus and he in the Warren. But when it came to be that they were each too interested in the others' way of life to be separated by different dimensions. Fever was fascinated by the legend of the Pookas, and never hesitated to ask him more about his past.

Many of the answers had been melancholy. She knew that he had lost his village, but the pain that he had suffered from it was clear.

"_I lost everything. My home and my people. Everything and everyone I loved was gone in an instant."_

Fever frowns as she remembers his words, once again feeling guilty for being so upset about what seemed like trivial problems. It had been hard, hearing about how Aster had become the last of the Pooka, and she wished she could do something to make him feel better. The only thing that seemed to do any good was just to listen and comfort him when he needed it. A hug went a long way in her experience, and to her luck it was exactly what Aster needed at that moment.

He hadn't gone into great detail of what had happened; just that they were attacked by something or someone. He still wasn't sure to that day, and she wondered if his mind had simply locked away all of the painful memories. Anyway, that wasn't the important part. He had much more fun telling her about the positives of his past; about his friends and family, and the mischief they would get into.

She looks up at Aster's peaceful face, his nose and whiskers twitching with his dreams, and she hopes they are pleasant. She runs her fingers over the fur on his cheeks and marvels at the softness. He leans into her touch even in his nearly comatose state, and she giggles. He had always been a deep sleeper, that was obvious.

She stops stroking his face for a moment to focus back on her fingertips, and she bites her lip as she considers that she could very well be losing her powers. She had never considered it, and hoped that that wasn't the case. If she lost her ability, what would happen to her as a spirit? She couldn't imagine losing Aster as he had lost his entire village. While he was strong enough to live through that pain, she wasn't sure that she was. Would she even survive it?

These were the thoughts that kept her awake that night, and not even her love's steady breaths could lull her to a peaceful slumber.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **So there's the first chapter. I know it's short and not much happened. I just wanted to set the scene a bit. And don't worry about me not giving much info about Aster's past. That will come later, but I think I'll keep his memories light and fun. I want to see the fun and gentle side of Aster that we didn't really get to see in the movie (aside from Sophie, which inspired me to write about his own children), and also didn't see in "A Fine Line." Review please!


	2. stay away from libraries

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! I'm glad you guys are interested in this new adventure for Faster. I love this couple so much so I'm happy to hear that you do too! Enjoy!

Chapter 2:

Aster glances away from the flowers in front of him as he hears Fever's footsteps. She is walking toward him with an expression of exasperation. She doesn't say anything, but just sits on a stump nearby as she watches him continue to bring Spring to the surface. He was used to it. Every now and then if she needed to think or if she just needed some positive energy, she would join him as he helped bring life and hope to the mortals.

Fever watches him raise his hands above the small bi-colored impatiens, and the flowers rise to meet his palm, their petals becoming more lustrous and bright, and the stems and leaves become greener, peacocking under the sun. She sighs at the sight, and wishes not for the first time that she had such a close bond with the life around her. Sure, she technically played a part in creating human life, but it wasn't the same. The trees move with the breeze, their branches creating squeaks as the bark brushes up against the other limbs sensually, and the leaves dance and perk up as well.

"You're upset." Aster says shortly, and moves away from the patch of plant growth to another, making the daffodils open to display their yellow scalloped petals. Fever stays silent for a while, contemplating whether or not to answer. She had tried to work that morning with the same effect that had become the norm in the past month. She was either not creating any passion, or too much. It was beginning to give her a complex.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"You missed that tulip." Fever points to the red flower, and Aster smirks at her attempt to change the subject before running his paw over it, and it grows to match its taller counterparts. "It's so nice today. When I was little I would beg my mom to take me out for picnics when it was like this."

"What is it, Fever?" Aster turns to face her completely and she tries to make her eyes wide and innocent. She should have known that he would see right through her. "You seem off." Now she glares at him, even though she knows that's what he intended, and she stands from the stump to meet his amused green eyes.

"I am not off! I am _fine!"_ She says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, sure." Aster walks away from her to continue working, and Fever counts to ten before answering him, hoping for the best.

"Aster, have you ever heard of Spirits losing their powers?" His eyes widen at her question, and he shrugs.

"Well, sure." Her heart leaps at his almost nonchalant tone, thinking that it was normal and easily fixed, until he continues. "When the children stop believing in the Guardians, we lose our powers. You know that." He moves over to a tree and places his hand on the trunk, closing his eyes as he tries to feel any hollowness that will accelerate its death. He works to fill the tree with his energy, and the holes in the trunk and limbs fill with healthy growth.

"But… what if it has nothing to do with the children? What if it's just a normal Spirit?" Aster's eyes open and narrow on her as he turns around. He takes in her posture and the anxiety in her eyes, and realizes that this is not just an empty question.

"Are you losing your powers?"

"I don't know." She breathes out. "It's been a month and they're fluctuating. I can't control it."

"Maybe you're just distracted." Aster says, because honestly he had never heard of a Spirit losing their powers for any reason other than disbelief. And even then it was usually only a Guardian that got the effects. Normal Spirits weren't affected by that rule. "What did Val say?"

"He thinks it's something I'm doing, too." Her bitterness makes him laugh, and he runs a hand through her hair affectionately.

"Just try to relax a bit. I'm sure it's nothing." Fever sighs and nods, not entirely believing him but happy to hear _something _reassuring.

"I'll stop distracting you and let you work." She leans up to give Aster a kiss on the cheek and he smiles back before returning to the plant life around them. She watches him for one more moment before teleporting to the church.

xoXox

Truth was sitting up in the rafters as usual, listening to the prayers that drifted up to her. When the angel sees her best friends materialize on the dusty floor, she smiles and flies down to the nave to meet her.

"Hey. I haven't heard from you in a while. How's everything going?" She asks, and Fever smiles.

"Good. Great, actually." _Except for one little problem. _Truth's eyes narrow on her and she rolls her eyes, knowing that she could feel her withholding. Then her eyes drop down to Fever's stomach, and they stay there for a moment. "What?"

"Er, nothing. Are you… feeling okay?"

"_You_ tell _me_."

"I just…" Fever nods at her to go on out of curiosity. When Truth felt something she was usually never wrong, and it was always important. She watches the angel's blue eyes drop down to her stomach again and instinctively glances down as well. All she sees is her usual attire, nothing out of the ordinary. "You seem… off."

"That's what Aster said." Fever says with an annoyed frown.

"Well what's up?"

"Nothing, just some problems with my powers. It will wear off." At least that's what she kept telling herself. "I can't create any heat and then it will flare up without warning. Nothing major."

"It sounds pretty major. Any other side effects?"

"No."

"Did you look it up?"

"Yeah. Nothing in the archives about it at all."

"Hmm…" When Fever sees Truth look at her stomach for the third time she finally snaps.

"What are you staring at?" She touches her front self-consciously and Truth bites her lip before looking up at her.

"I just feel…" Her hand reaches out to touch the front of her bodice, right at Fever's lower abdomen, and she frowns as she attempts to see through her. However, she gets nothing. _Of course I wouldn't be able to see it. It wouldn't be true if it was unknown. _She looks back up to Fever, who by now is staring at her friend as if she were crazy. "Is there any way that you could be pregnant?" Fever's jaw drops and she stumbles over her words for a moment, pushing the offending hand and thought away.

"Excuse me?" She can't help but laugh, it is so ridiculous.

"Pregnant."

"I heard you. No! What makes you think I could be pregnant?" She asks, and Truth shrugs.

"I just sense something different about you."

"That's what you said when Aster started messing with me. Maybe you're just sensing my anxiety about my powers failing-"

"No, it's different. It's like there's two of you."

"Two of me?"

"Yeah, like two souls." Truth tilts her head to the side curiously. "Are you _sure _you're not pregnant?"

"Truth, I think I would know. I'd feel the child's heartbeat."

"Not if they're not at that stage of development yet. And it could have something to do with the inconsistency of your abilities." This makes Fever pause, and she begins to wonder with dread if it could be true. Her hand automatically moves to rub her stomach, and she shakes her head.

"I can't be."

"Why not?" Silence draws out for a few moments when she can't think of a reason, and then Truth wrings her hands together nervously. "I think maybe we should look into it."

"I've gone through all of the books I could find on love and lust Spirits. I didn't see anything about pregnancy."

"Well maybe you were looking in the wrong place. Let's go." She reaches out a hand and Fever puts her suddenly trembling one in hers, taking them to Cyprus.

xoXox

Fever was praying that they wouldn't find anything. She hoped that they would find a different explanation, and that she and Truth would laugh about them considering something so silly. That wasn't what happened.

Truth had gone straight to one book in particular, a large brown one that sat on the bottom of one of the shelves. The one book that Fever hadn't looked at, because it was completely focused on Mother Nature, one of the great Spirits that she assumed had no information about her condition. Truth frowns as she reads the damning words aloud.

"The Great Mother may bestow the ability of procreation upon a few Spirits in particular, namely those that continue her work of reproduction of life. The female Spirits may find their center-bound abilities lacking or unreliable during the first two months of the gestation period…"

"Oh, my God." Fever gasps and she moves over Truth's shoulder in order to read for herself. Her eyes take in the same words multiple times, with the same result; a sick feeling in her gut and a cold sweat breaking out over her skin. "Oh, no…" She backs away from the book as Truth continues to read silently, reaching out a hand blindly in an attempt to grasp Fever's arm to support her. Fever takes deep breaths as she considers that she could very well be pregnant. She wasn't stupid. She knew how it happened. But she didn't think that as a Spirit, it would have been possible. In that fact she was correct, as it was clear that Mother Nature was a bitch and wanted to "bless" her with the ability to repopulate the world. "Isn't me spreading lust good enough? Now I'm a _true_ broodmare _too?" _Her voice rises in her disbelief and Truth barely suppresses a snicker despite the revelation. "This isn't funny, Truth. I can't be a mother."

"According to this, you very well could be."

"I'm not joking. I don't know the first thing about being a mother. Aster and I have never talked about it." She pales at the reminder of him, and finds her words are even more difficult to say now. "What if he doesn't want kids? What if-"

"Calm down." Truth interrupts her and stands to grasp her shoulders. "Don't freak out yet. First we should check to be sure."

"How do you expect me to do that? I can't just go buy a pregnancy test. They can't see me!"

"Well don't you know _anyone _who can get you one? A mortal?" Fever thinks to herself for a moment, coming up with nothing. All the people she really knew personally were the Guardians, and they couldn't get her one either. They didn't know any…

Fever groans as she remembers the one mortal that they were on a first name basis with. This was going to be much harder and more embarrassing than she ever considered.

xoXox

Aster frowns as he enters the burrow. Fever wasn't there, for the second night in a row. He was so used to seeing her there that it was beginning to worry him. Her concern for her ability had not slipped past him. He was just as confused as she was, and was trying to come up with any reason for it. Unfortunately, he didn't know a lot about her Spirit type, and so he had no clue where to even look for answers. He had thought that she seemed somewhat pacified after she talked to him about it, but obviously something was still bothering her, and he hadn't seen or heard from her since then.

He waits another half an hour, but she still doesn't show up, and he begins to worry about something other than her powers. _What if she isn't happy anymore? _It had never occurred to him that maybe _he _was the reason she had been so distant. The past month had been awkward. He had attributed it to her issues with her abilities after she had told him, but now he was wondering about their relationship status. He looks back at the unoccupied bed, remembering how they had always settled in for the night, cuddling and talking to each other as if they were the only ones left in the world. Sometimes it seemed as if it were true. However, lately their cuddle time had been sporadic, and with her missing two nights in a row it seemed clear that she didn't want to be there. It made Aster uneasy, and his heart wrenched at the thought of losing her. He couldn't think of any possible reason why she could be unhappy with him. Ever since the incident with Luke, they had gotten so used to sharing with each other. They didn't keep secrets. Sometimes they were a little bit_ too_ forthcoming with their problems. The fact that Fever was obviously upset and not telling him why was what made him think _he_ was involved. It made him worry about what could possibly happen next.

Unable to stand it anymore, he leaves the burrow and heads to the tunnels that lead to the surface, immediately going to the quadrant that Val would be working in that night. He prays that Fever is not working so he can have a guy-to-guy talk. The Saint of Love had been there for him quite a bit since he had started dating his sister, and every now and then they would get together and discuss the impossibilities of communicating with women. Cupid knew more about that than anyone, it seemed.

Aster feels the wind hit him in the face when he jumps out of his hole, and he sniffs the air for the familiar scent of his almost "brother-in-law." When he finally finds him, he calls out so he doesn't startle the archer, and hops up onto the roof with him, frowning.

"Hey, Bunny. What's up?" Aster sighs and sits down, and Val smirks as he senses more relationship problems. He knew that he should expect as much as he was Cupid, but he was quite surprised that Aster had given up enough of his pride to seek him out so often.

"Has Fever told you about her powers not working?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well she seems really concerned."

"She is. But we'll figure it out. Why?"

"She's been distant for the last month. But especially for the last couple of days. She won't even talk to me now, and we always talk to each other. I don't know what's wrong." Val purses his lips as he considers what Aster is saying, and then he shrugs and sits down with him, sighing.

"She seemed okay when she came to me about her powers. I've felt a lot of anxiety from her since then, but not much else. I'm sure she's fine." He puts a hand on Aster's shoulder with a smile. "There isn't a lot of history on Spirits losing their powers, but we have a history archive in Cyprus. She went there the other night to do some research so I know she'll figure it out."

"I'm glad you're so sure of it." Aster mumbles, and glares down at the city below them.

"Well, what are you so upset about?"

"My girlfriend has been avoiding me." He says, and Val laughs. "It's not funny. I'm worried that she might be second guessing our relationship." It had seemed somewhat ridiculous in his head, but saying it out loud made him aware of how deep that fear went, that she would leave him. He swallows roughly as he considers what losing her would do to him, but Val just smiles reassuringly.

"I'm pretty sure she's not considering breaking it off, Bunny. She's so happy with you. Nothing bad has happened, right? You guys haven't had a massive fight or anything?"

"No."

"And your… relations?"

"They're fine."

"_Fine?"_

"Great." Aster blushes underneath his fur and glares at Val, who just laughs and nods.

"Okay, then. I don't think you have anything to worry about. She's never had this problem before, so it's most likely just the nerves getting to her. I felt some anxiety coming from her a little while ago but it's mostly gone now."

"Mostly?"

"She's a woman, Aster. They focus on things for days when they should really just let it go."

"You don't seem very concerned about her." Aster says with no little amount of annoyance. Val sometimes sounded as if he didn't care as much about Fever, and sometimes it irritated him.

"I am. I just trust the man in the moon." At that Aster had no response, and he glances up to the glowing round orb in the sky as if to hear answers. He did trust Manny, but this was just too strange. "Don't worry, Bunny. I'm sure she's fine."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Will everything be fine? If you want to know then you'll have to review! Pretty please?


	3. back to reality

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Fever had to get her hands on a pregnancy test somehow, and this was just too good of an opportunity to ignore. Enjoy!

Chapter 3:

_I can't believe I'm doing this. _Fever shakes her head as she continues over the rooftops of houses, nearly tip toeing even though there was really no point in it. No one believed in her, so even if she were stomping all over the shingles they wouldn't hear her. There was really only one who knew about her, and it was completely by accident.

_Fever sits with Sandy, their hands touching gently and creating red glowing sand as their powers mix to create dreams of the more sensual variety. She didn't know where the dreams went, she just trusted him to direct them correctly. They had parted after an hour or so, and she had gone back to her business. The next night she had been patrolling as usual when she was literally swept off of her feet, and not by the Guardian she would have preferred._

_She pauses as a light wind flutters around her, and then arms are dragging her upward and off of the roof, making her scream in terror. Her first instinct is to fight back, but as soon as her eyes take in how high up they were and that the hands holding her were very cold, she just glares up at laughing blue eyes._

"_Jack! Put me down!"_

"_I want you to meet someone."_

"_What are you _talking _about?" He just laughs and continues to carry her away from her spot and the wind makes her eyes water as they fly to a small town where most of the inhabitants were already asleep. "Jack!"_

"_Here we go." He lets go of her and directs the wind to push her into an open window, and she lets out a cry of surprise as she lands on the floor of a bedroom. She grunts and pushes herself up, looking around. It was obviously a boy's room judging by the bedding and color of the walls._

"_What the-" She turns around abruptly at the male voice, confirming her suspicions, but she sees that it is not a child as she had assumed. A teenaged boy stares back at her, his brown eyes wide. When Jack lands in the room he glares accusingly at the Winter sprite. "Who is this?"_

"_This is the cause of all of your problems."_

"_Hey!" Fever shouts, annoyed. Then her eyes narrow in confusion. "How can he see me? No one can see me." _

"_I told him about you, and he believed. He knows not to write us off as stories."_

"_Okay… look kid, I don't even know you. So I don't know what I could have done." She raises her hands in defense, but Jack just shakes his head._

"_Jamie, this is Fever. She's why you've been so… erm… distracted lately."_

"_What?" She asks, confused. Jack grins and laughs at both of their faces, and he gestures toward Jamie._

"_This is Jamie. He helped us defeat Pitch just over a decade ago. We've kept in touch." Her eyes widen and she looks at the boy once more, remembering Aster mentioning him once or twice. _

"_You're kidding?"_

"_What does he mean, you're my problem?" He asks directly, folding his arms across his chest._

"_I have no idea."_

"_She's been giving you wet dreams." Jamie's face turns red and Fever glares at Jack. "What? It's true." Fever sighs and looks at Jamie head on, now understanding why she was there. Jamie had complained to Jack, possibly approached him for some advice, and so naturally Jack threw her under the bus._

"_It's nothing to be ashamed of, Jamie. It's just what I do."_

"_Uh huh." He just mumbles, looking away from her uncomfortably._

"_You're not alone, if it makes you feel any better. Sandy and I were working the entire town."_

"_Oh my God." Jamie sighs in mortification and runs a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "This can't be happening right now."_

"_I'm sorry. I can tell Sandy to leave you out of the rotation if you'd like." Fever offers. She could clearly see that while he was at least twenty, he was obviously not ready for her and Val to work their magic. _

"_That would be nice. Thanks. I mean, I don't even have a girlfriend yet." He says, still blushing. Her professional tone seemed to make him more comfortable though._

"_You don't? Wait, what about Cupcake?" Jack intervenes with a smirk. "I saw you two hanging out the other day."_

"_She's just my friend."_

"_Uh huh. Sure."_

"_Really!" Fever giggles quietly, watching them banter as if they had known each other forever, and she supposed that they really bad, for all of Jamie's life at least. She takes that moment to escape out of the room, but not before checking Jamie's photo frames for the girl Jack mentioned. She memorizes the smiling face of the cute brunette in a leotard and ballet slippers and stores the information away. She could always tell Val to polish up an arrow for those two, if Jamie didn't get to it himself…_

That night had been so awkward. He was her first believer, and they had to meet after she had practically embarrassed the guy. Even though she was still on good terms with Jamie, she never wanted to go to him for a favor as huge as this. She moves down from the roof onto Jamie's window sill and knocks lightly. Jamie looks up from his textbook and smiles at the sight of her, even though she can see that he is surprised. He walks over to the window and opens it before stepping back to let her in. Fever sighs and steps inside, immediately feeling her cheeks flush in anticipation and embarrassment.

"Hey, Fever. What's up?" His brow furrows as he sees that she is clearly upset, and she takes a deep breath and forces herself to look into his eyes. It was as if their roles from their first meeting were completely reversed. Now it was Fever squirming in discomfort, and she chewed on the irony for a moment.

"Jamie, I need a favor. Like… a huge, crazy, unbelievable favor." She says, and bites her lip as she waits for his response. He is clearly confused, and shrugs.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Um… it's… uh…"

"Are you okay?" He reaches out a hand and puts it on her shoulder, and she just wants to leave before she can embarrass herself further.

"Yes. No. I don't know yet."

"Well what's the favor? It has to be good if it's got you this upset."

"I need a… um… oh God." She mutters and closes her eyes for a moment before opening them again and just spitting it out. "I need a pregnancy test." Jamie's eyes widen and he is silent for a moment before a smile breaks over his face.

"Yeah, sure. What is it really?" Fever doesn't laugh along with him, and just stares at him. After another moment his smile disappears, and he gasps. "Really? You're not kidding?"

"No."

"Jeez… how…" He steps back from her and this time laughs out of disbelief. "I didn't even know Spirits could _get _pregnant."

"Apparently only the ones Mother Nature deems worthy." Fever nearly spits out, and then she takes a deep breath. "Please, Jamie? I really need that test. I need to know for sure, and I can't get one myself."

"Don't worry, I'll get you a few of them just in case. But… really?" Fever shrugs and manages a small smile.

"My powers have been on the fritz lately, and when I did some reading I found out that it's a side effect."

"Does Jack know?"

"No! No one knows yet except for Truth. I don't want to tell them until I know for sure."

"Bunny?"

"Nope." She says, and once again her mind drifts to what he would say if he did find out… or more likely when.

"Wow. This is crazy." She just nods in agreement and he gives her a small smile.

"I'll go out tonight and get some. There's got to be a pharmacy still open." He moves to leave the bedroom and Fever just steps forward and hugs him, holding him for a moment to convey how much it meant to her.

"Thank you, Jamie."

"No problem."

She paces the entire half an hour that he is gone, unable to relax a bit. She had been somewhat afraid of Jack showing up as he often did to hang out with his friend, and having to explain her presence. When Jamie returns, she takes the tests greedily with two hands and makes him promise not to tell Jack or Aster, or anyone else. He does, and she quickly teleports straight to Cyprus where Truth is waiting for her.

xoXox

The angel holds her hands the entire time they wait for the tests to cure, both of them quiet for a while.

"Fever." She looks up questioningly, and Truth's face is serious. "What will you do if they're positive?"

"I don't know. I never considered being a mother. I didn't know it was possible. And I'm terrified that if I ever _did _have children, that I would screw them up." Truth laughs, and Fever shakes her head. "Seriously. I don't know the first thing about raising children. And Aster… I don't know how he would feel. And what if they're Pooka? I don't know the first thing about _human _babies, let alone Pooka kits! And then what if they're _not _Pooka, and he's disappointed?" Her voice raises so much that it cracks in her anxiety, and Truth tightens her grip on her hands and shushes her.

"Aster loves you." She says slowly, as if trying to engrave the words into Fever's brain. "He loves you. And he would love you no matter what, that I'm sure of. I know the truth, remember?" Fever smiles slightly and Truth grins back. "And whether they were human or Pooka, he would be happy. Do you honestly think he wouldn't be happy about having a family?" The blonde shakes her head, remembering how much Aster had missed his loved ones, and considers that this could very well be a blessing. Still, it was a terrifying blessing. She glances over at the bathroom where the tests are sitting on the sink, and swallows roughly, considering that they had been sitting for long enough and should have the results. "Do you want me to look?"

"No, I'll do it." She squeezes Truth's hands for support before she stands from the bed and walks over to the bathroom, picking up the three tests and moving back into the bedroom. She takes a deep breath and looks into Truth's eyes for strength before slowly raising the tests up to view.

Three plus signs change her entire fate, and she feels the breath get knocked out of her from the shock. Her knees turn weak and she nearly falls down, but Truth is there, holding her arm and looking at the tests as well.

"You're really pregnant." Truth gasps, but then she smiles so wide that Fever thinks it will split her face. Her hand moves down to her stomach and she takes another deep breath, finally realizing that it was real. She was pregnant.

"I'm pregnant. How is it even possible?" Fever whispers, stroking her fingers over her still flat stomach. "I don't…"

"Honey, even though you and Aster are different species, you're both still pretty damned fertile." Truth cracks up at the look on her best friends' face, and it only makes her continue. "I mean, come on. It's in both of your natures. For how you two go at it I'm surprised it even took two years."

"Truth!" The angel laughs again before pulling her in for a hug.

"Sorry. But I'm really happy for you. I think this is a great thing for both of you."

"I know. I _am _happy. Just…"

"Shocked?" Fever nods, but manages to smile also.

"I'm going to be a mother." She mumbles, and then turns to Truth again. "Don't tell anyone, okay? I want to do it when I'm ready." Truth frowns. She hated keeping secrets. She always said that withholding was tantamount to lying, which she naturally detested.

"Okay. But don't wait too long."

"I won't."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **And so the fun begins. The next chapter is a little short, so I might post it tomorrow if you guys request it. After that they get longer. Anyway, review please! I love hearing from you guys!


	4. the consequences of withholding

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 4:

Fever tries to sneak back into the burrow quietly, but as soon as she enters the bedroom Aster stands from his seated position on the bed, and she knows she is busted. She takes a deep breath, trying to act as normally as she usually would, but his concerned green eyes make it clear that he was aware of her anxious state.

"Hey." She says, and winces when she hears her own voice.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asks, walking toward her and immediately pulling her into his arms. She swallows and tries to nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I'm late." Aster tries to keep from pointing out that the last two nights she hadn't bothered to show up at all, but knows that it wouldn't help anything. She puts her arms around his neck, but he can still tell that she is distracted, and even when she kisses him his mind wanders to what could have happened to make her so distant. If she had been unhappy with him, she wouldn't have come home, right? She would have continued to stay out… unless she was waiting to break it off with him. His mouth pauses at the thought that seemed to be continually swimming around his mind and Fever pulls back, glancing up at him. "Are _you _okay?" He nods and gives her a peck on the lips, trying to bring her smile back. He does, and for that he is thankful.

"I love you." He says, and feels her relax in his arms as she usually did.

"I love you too." But even as she smiles at him and strokes one of his ears as she loved to do, she pulls away from him and her eyes seem to glaze over. He sighs lightly and lets her go so she can get ready for bed.

As they lay there, neither asleep and barely touching, they both fret over the possible issues that would soon come to light and test their previously unbreakable relationship.

xoXox

The next morning is tough. Fever tries to sneak out of bed without Aster noticing and gets dressed as quietly as possible, but even as she teleports away, his eyes open and he just stares at the wall of the burrow, feeling the emotional pain wrack through him.

Fever rests her head on her palm as she continues to flip through the large brown book. So far all she had found was a small page of information. Her gestation period could change depending on unforeseen circumstances. She placed her joining with a Pooka in that column. Therefore there was no way to tell how long her pregnancy would be. Rabbits only had a month long gestation period, which obviously wasn't going to happen. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She could only guess that she would have a human pregnancy of nine months. There was nothing to convince her otherwise. She and Aster hadn't talked about Pooka births as it never came up in conversation. Now that she knew for sure that she was going to be carrying his child, she would have to ask him about it.

"Fever?" Her eyes widen and she quickly shuts the book and runs to the shelf to put it back. She teleports away to a different shelf that would look less conspicuous just as Val enters the library. "There you are." His eyes take in her slightly out of breath state and her nervous eyes, and his brow furrows in confusion. "Are you okay?" He reaches out to their bond and feels her heart pounding, which only makes him more concerned. Either she had found something really bad about her powers, or there was something else bothering her.

"Yeah." Her answer doesn't hold a lot of confidence, and Val sighs as he takes off his bow and arrows and sets them on the table in the middle of the room.

"Look, sis, I have to level with you. Bunny's been really restless lately." Fever's eyes widen. She had tried to keep her concern from him as best as she could, which was why she had tried to keep her distance, but she never thought that he would go to Val looking for comfort or answers. "He's really down. He says you've been avoiding him." She looks down to the floor, ashamed. "He thinks you're going to break up with him." At that her eyes snap up to meet his.

"What?"

"Well, you haven't given him any reason to think otherwise. He's really upset, Fever. He doesn't know what's going on. Neither do I, for that matter." He raises an eyebrow and she tries to hold his gaze. "So what's going on?" He crosses his arms over his chest and stares her down, knowing exactly how to get information from her after so many decades together. "Come on, Fever. Talk to me."

"Everything's… fine." She can't bring herself to completely lie to him, but he sees that he is making progress.

"It's not. Are you guys fighting?"

"No."

"Is there someone else?"

"No!" Her eyes widen at the suggestion and she is once again worried that Aster thinks she's not happy with him. She knew that she was doing the wrong thing by keeping him in the dark. She could tell that he was worried, but she never considered that he thought she had fallen out of love with him. Now she realizes why he had seemed to say those three words so desperately the night before. Imagining herself with anyone else made her feel cold. She couldn't see herself with anyone else. For that reason, she knew that she needed to fix this.

"What, you're not pregnant are you?" His words are surrounded by laughter, but as she freezes and can't meet his eyes, his laughter stops.

"That was Jamie's reaction too."

"_What?"_

"He got me the pregnancy tests." She deadpans, and Val's jaw drops and his arms fall limply to his sides. Suddenly she couldn't keep her mouth shut. The idea of Aster's suffering has her desperate to explain her actions. "It's why my powers aren't reliable anymore. A side effect." She runs over to the shelf and pulls out the book, flipping immediately to the information on pregnancy in Spirits centered in bonds and love. "Look. According to this my ability should return back to normal in another month or so." She points to the page and Val manages to move next to her and read the few paragraphs she had nearly memorized at that point. "I'm pregnant, Val." When he is done he stands up straight and lets out a deep breath, staring blankly at the page.

"Shit." He mutters, and then he turns to her. "Seriously?" She just nods, and then he pulls her in for a hug. "Wow." He laughs again, and pulls her away to grin at her. "Wow."

"Yeah. That's what I thought, too."

"Are you… happy?"

"I am." As she says it she knows that it's true. "But I'm scared."

"Understandable. Don't worry though. I can tell this is going to be a really good thing. For both of you. I'm assuming he doesn't know yet." She shakes her head and before he can ask, she interrupts him.

"I'll tell him soon. I mean I can't wait until I have a stomach out to my toes, right?"

xoXox

"How dare you!" Fever jumps and turns away from Truth to see Tooth flying straight for her, her expression livid. Fever's mouth opens in surprise as the fairy lets lose a tirade that would have made her mother proud. "You have Bunny worried sick about you! He thinks you're going to break his heart, and then I find out that you've been keeping secrets from him, _and_ us! Just when were you going to tell everyone that you're pregnant?" Fever gasps and assumes it was Val who had snitched on her, until she sees the too-innocent look on Truth's face.

"You promised!"

"And _you _promised that you would tell Bunny soon. That was a few days ago. It's only going to get worse the longer you wait."

"And so you spilled the beans to everyone?"

"Not everyone. Just Tooth." Truth chirps, gesturing toward the fairy.

"You are selfish, Fever! Absolutely selfish! How could you just keep this to yourself? So when are you due? It's going to be so amazing having a baby in the Guardian family! Do you know the sex yet? No, of course you wouldn't. Oh! Bunny is going to be so _excited!" _Fever stares at her for a moment, listening to Truth giggle.

"I'm confused. Are you happy or mad at me?"

"Both!" Tooth grins and sits down on the church floor with the other two women. "I understand that you're scared, Fever. But there is no reason to keep this from him. Trust me."

"I just don't know how he would-"

"He's changed since you've found each other." Tooth interrupts her. "He's happier. Well, he was." Fever flinches at the not so subtle hint. "He should know, and not later. You should tell him today."

"Well with so many people knowing now, he's going to find out eventually." She mutters, still feeling the sting from Truth's broken promise.

"He should hear it from you. If you're worried about him being upset, let that fear go. It will be fine." Tooth says, and she places her hand on top of Fever's to reassure her. "Do it tonight. For Bunny, please?" Fever stares into Tooth's big pink eyes, and the knowledge that one of Aster's closest friends were now in the loop gave her hope. She had assumed that Truth and Val would be happy, but she just didn't have a clue about the others. They had known Aster the longest, and only they had an idea of how he would react. Now that she had Tooth's approval, and even better, her enthusiasm, she felt as if she couldn't _not _tell him.

The fairy was right; Fever _was _being selfish. Not because she wouldn't tell the others first. She always felt that a woman's pregnancy was best announced when she was ready. But she _was_ selfish to continue keeping the secret from Aster when she knew that he was upset. It wasn't right for her to continue on acting like it could be fixed without any action on her part. He needed to know that she was expecting, and even more importantly, he needed to know that she loved him.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Enough stalling! The next chapter is when things really start to take off and we see more of Bunny's thoughts of the situation. Review please!


	5. the truth

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! This chapter has the first flashback to Aster's past. It's shorter than the others, but I hope you guys like it! Enjoy!

Chapter 5:

Aster knows the moment Fever returns to the Warren. It was as if he could sense her every time she was in his home. He supposed that after being alone for so long, having any one there was still so unusual that he was always on high alert when someone else entered. He follows her scent and finds her just sitting in the grass, playing with the soft green blades. She isn't smiling, and he feels his gut contract as he contemplates her reason for being there at that time of day. When she had snuck out of the burrow that morning he was so certain of their fate that he could hardly focus on anything else. He was ready to just shake the answers out of her. He was tired of being kept in the dark about something that was obviously plaguing her. He was ready to talk, and she wasn't going to sneak off this time.

He walks up behind her and takes a deep breath before sitting next to her, staring down at the ground. Neither speaks at first. They just sit there and listen to their pounding hearts. It was amazing how despondency could travel so easily from one to the other in a relationship. The lack of communication had made them both so anxious and confused that neither really knew _what _to say. Fever finally turns to him and sighs.

"Aster, I'm so sorry." His eyes shut automatically, sensing the dread of what she would say next. He had been alive long enough to know that a conversation that started with those words was never good. What was she sorry for? For avoiding him? For keeping secrets from him that were obviously very important? For breaking his heart? "I know I've been distant lately. At first I was afraid for myself when my powers weren't working. And then I discovered something else, and I was terrified of how you'd respond."

"Is there someone else?" He can't help but interject, his eyes finally finding her dark ones. They widen, whether from surprise or confusion he doesn't know, and it makes him continue. "Are you questioning our relationship, Fever?" She feels her blood run cold, feeling a sense of déjà vu that she would have been glad to never experience. John's words come back to her from the day he died, accusing her of being with someone else behind his back. She never expected to hear those hurtful words again, and certainly not from Aster. She couldn't linger on the feeling of slight betrayal from him thinking so little of her though, because honestly she hadn't been upfront enough with him.

"No! No, I'm not-"

"Because you don't seem to be fully into it anymore, and you won't tell me why." He says, finally making his feelings known. It took two, after all, to get to the bottom of a problem such as this. "I've been really happy with you for the last two years, and I feel as though you've suddenly broken it off without telling me."

"No, I haven't." Fever reassures him and takes his paws in hers. He doesn't resist. He just stares into her eyes, searching for the truth. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to think that I wasn't happy. I was just really confused and scared, but not about you. It's more… closer to home." She mumbles the last bit and her eyes lower slightly. She sits there and tries to figure out how to say it. "I did some research on my powers failing, and I found out that there is one reason for it, but it's something that I've never imagined could happen, and I didn't know how to tell you."

Now Aster is getting worried. She made it sound as if the result was fatal, and he feels a whole different fear for her.

"Are you dying?"

"No!" She gasps, realizing how her words were sounding. "Jeez, I'm just saying it all wrong."

"Yeah." Aster agrees, making her glare at him slightly, and he smiles at seeing his old love back, even if it is just for a moment. "Fever, just tell me. Please." _Put us both out of our misery, _he thinks to himself, and he watches her gather herself.

"Aster, I'm…" She mumbles the last word so quietly that he doesn't even catch it, and his ears perk up as he gives her a confused look. "I'm pregnant."

Aster stares at her for a long moment, trying to make sense of it. She mumbles it again, and his eyes focus on her lips forming the word. _Preg-nant. Pregnant. She's going to have a baby. She's going to be a mother. I'm going to be a father. _As the meaning sinks in, his jaw drops even as a smile threatens to split his face, and he looks back at her. She is biting her lip nervously, waiting for his reaction.

"You're pregnant?" He asks, just for clarification. She nods, and he can't help but let out a huge breath; one full of relief, shock, excitement, and pure joy. And then he moves his paw out from between hers to rest of her stomach, and he feels his eyes sting with the threat of tears. "We're going to have a baby."

"Yes." She whispers, and now she is smiling, seeing that he is not upset as she had feared. And just like that, Aster feels as if everything has righted itself again. He could understand her fear. It was a huge change, knowing that they were going to have a family. But it was a huge change that he would give anything for. It was what he had wished for ever since he had lost his village. He remembered when he would look up at the moon and ask why he was alone, why he was forced to live in solitude. And this was the answer; because something great was coming his way. He just had to be patient. He lets out a happy sob and wraps his arms around Fever, pulling her close and holding her so tightly that she squirms.

"Thank you." He sighs, and she feels her own eyes water, closing them to savor the relief that pours over her. All of that worrying for nothing. She had put them both through so much just for this outcome. She felt so foolish, but she couldn't focus on it as she feels how happy Aster is. "How long?"

"Only about a month. Since my powers stopped acting right." She says, burying her face into his neck. "I was so afraid of what you would say, what you would do. I should have told you sooner." At that he pulls her away just far enough so he can look at her head on.

"You honestly thought I would be upset?"

"I don't know. I know that you miss your family, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to have a new one with me." She says, and Aster's eyes widen. "A family is something so important, and I don't want to even try to replace what you've lost. I thought-"

"Fever, I would never expect you to try." He interrupts her. "My village was my closest family, and I lost them. I'll never forget them. But Manny gave me something to help heal that pain; you. I love you, and I'll gladly join any family that you're in. Hell, I put up with Val, don't I?" Fever laughs at that, making him smile. "But having our own family, our own children, makes me happier than I could have imagined."

"Me too." She says quietly, and leans up to kiss him gently, savoring the moment. He responds enthusiastically, and then he groans and jumps when her hands connect with his neck. She jumps back also and gives him a sheepish grin, holding her heated fingertips away from him. "Sorry. My abilities will keep turning on and off for another month or so."

"Well then let's make the best of it." Aster says with a smirk, and he pulls her closer again and moves his mouth to her jawline. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry out of happiness, so she just focuses on him. She had a lot of making up to do after putting him through so much for the last week…

xoXox

Aster and Fever make the announcement at the Pole the next day, and are instantly swept up into a group hug by a laughing North.

"Congratulations you two! This is fantastic!" He yells boisterously, hugging the two to his large frame.

"North, you're bloody smothering us!" Aster chokes out, pushing against the other man. North just continues to grin and lets them both go, Aster reaching out a hand to steady Fever before she falls over. She could already tell that this was going to become a problem; his always watching out for her, freaking out over every cough, sneeze, and every single stomach ache. It was clear that he was just as invested into this pregnancy as she was. Neither wanted anything to go wrong. But she was already worried that he was going to treat her like porcelain.

"I still can't believe you had Jamie get the pregnancy tests." Jack laughs, making her blush. She was never going to live that down.

"We had to know for sure. He was the only mortal who could actually get them." Truth comes to her rescue.

"Wait a minute. Did everyone else know?" Aster asks, and Sandy waves his hand in the air while creating an "X" over his head, signaling that he didn't know.

"Only a few of us. She needed to be convinced to tell you. We couldn't stand it anymore." Tooth speaks up, and Aster feels his heart swell at the care of his friends. He had tried to keep his worries to himself. He had no idea that they were so sensitive to how he had been feeling for the last week. He supposed he had them to thank for getting Fever to finally talk to him.

"It is no matter!" North says, bringing them all back to his personal celebration. "This is great news."

"I don't know. Can you imagine having a bunch of little rabbits jumping all over the place?" Jack asks jokingly, and the others laugh, but Fever's smile suddenly disappears. _Rabbits. _How would they even know what species the baby would be? They couldn't very well get an ultrasound, and there was nothing in the book about mating with different species. She would have to figure out a way to know for sure…

"-shower!" Tooth squeals, bringing her out of her thoughts. The fairy is looking at her for confirmation, and Fever raises an eyebrow, completely lost.

"Um, what?"

"A baby shower, silly! It's going to be so much fun!"

"Wait! I don't want a baby shower." Fever shakes her head at the thought of them cooing over baby clothes and playing those stupid games with the bad tasting canned food.

"Well we're having one anyway. You're the first and maybe the only Spirit getting knocked up any time soon so we're going to make the most of it." Truth says in agreement. "Oh! We can have it here! The yetis can make the treats and-"

Val smiles and shakes his head as the girls get into the party planning. He turns to Aster who looks just as amused, but his eyes are focused on Fever, who looks almost horrified at the idea. Val watches Aster for a moment, seeing the love and commitment in his eyes.

"You're going to take care of her." It is a statement, not a question, and Aster nods firmly.

"With my life." He says, and smiles at the other man. "I never imagined that I'd get the chance to have another family. I'm not going to let anything happen to her or the baby." Val nods, satisfied.

"I trust you."

xoXox

Seeing her sitting in their bed waiting for him made Aster feel as if everything was right again. She sits there with her eyes on her hands, and he can tell she is still trying to get the hang of her powers. Even though she had informed him that she had another month of inconvenience, she seemed determined to prove the book false and gain her control back. Her stubbornness was one of the things he loved about her, and it amused him to no end.

"Ooh, I think I saw a spark." He mutters, and smirks at her glare. He sits down next to her and kisses her temple, watching her continue to focus on her hands. "You said yourself that they wouldn't come back yet."

"Yeah… but I'm the Spirit pregnancy guinea pig so I might as well try." She says, but her furrowed brow tells him that she's had no progress.

"Because you're the guinea pig you shouldn't risk anything." He says, and she sighs and puts her hands in her lap, giving him an annoyed glance. "We don't have any examples of how this should go, so maybe we should just-"

"Yeah, about that." Fever interrupts. "Pookas have babies, right?" Aster's eyes widen at her question and he lets out a laugh.

"Of course, we don't just materialize out of space ships."

"Shut up." She says, her cheeks flaming. "I mean, you know how they go, right? You must have seen plenty of pregnancies with how ancient you are." This time it's his time to be annoyed, but he shrugs. "We're different species, so I have no idea how Pooka pregnancies go."

"Well, I'm a guy, remember?" He ignores the roll of her eyes and continues. "Male Pooka weren't exactly welcomed into the birthing process. We had midwives who took care of it, and we were usually kept out."

"But you have to know _something _about it!" Aster tries to remember the small amount of information he had learned from the older females. He didn't have any brothers or sisters so he didn't get to learn about it first-hand, but he had plenty of friends with siblings, and they were always poking their noses into others' business.

"_And she eats a lot and she keeps getting bigger!" A small Pooka exclaims, moving his hands in a circular motion, his eyes wide. "My Pa says that it's going to take a long time for the baby to get here."_

"_But she's so big already!" Another says, and Aster listens just as intently as his friends gossip about Liam's new brother or sister. "She's going to get bigger?"_

"_Well the midwife says she's probably got more than one baby." Liam says._

"_Wow." The four young Pooka, barely into their teen years, all turn to peek around the trees at the group of adults sitting nearby. One of the women was indeed holding her large stomach and smiling._

"_How does it get out of there?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Maybe they reach down her throat and pull them out." Aster says._

"_No, that's impossible! I once choked on a carrot that was this big!" Riley raises his paw to create a small amount of space between his fingers. "If a carrot can't come out, a baby can't!"_

"_Well then how else is it supposed to get out of her belly?" Will asks, and they sit in silence for a few minutes as they try to figure out the mysteries of the world._

Aster smiles as he remembers that day. They were so young back then, and they had bothered the midwives all day long asking questions about Liam's mother. They had eventually been shooed out of the burrow with the midwife telling them that it was too complicated for them to understand. That turned out to be completely true, though it was insulting to four young boys who thought they should know everything.

"All of the pregnancies that my friends' parents went through lasted about ten months." He says.

"Ugh, ten? But rabbits' only last a month." Fever groans as she imagines having to carry a baby for that long.

"We're not real rabbits, sheila." He laughs. "But there's no way to know for sure how long yours will last seeing as you're not a Pooka. Anything could happen. Though I'm sure everything will be fine. If Mother Nature chose you to be a Pooka vessel," He laughs when she smacks his shoulder in annoyance, "then you should be able to go through the pregnancy with no problems."

"I hope so." Fever pouts for a bit, and then she looks back up at him, and her face is completely serious. "Aster, about the baby… would you prefer a kit over a human?" Her voice is soft and she tries to keep her expression blank. She didn't want to influence him at all, but she needed to know how he felt. Aster looks down at the comforter as he thinks about it.

While he did love the idea of Pooka kits, he didn't dare choose one over the other. He never expected to have children at all, so any child he was gifted with would be loved no matter their species.

"I would love our children even if they were elves." He says, and smiles as Fever laughs. "I'm just happy that I get the chance to have a family of my own, baby doll. I don't care if they're human or Pooka."

"But-" He covers her lips with a finger so he can finish.

"Sure, I would love to see my Pooka line live on. As the last of my kind, I've definitely thought about it. But I would never withhold love from our child if they weren't. I promise you, I will love them and you, no matter what." Fever continues to smile and kisses him on the cheek, thanking him for his honesty.

"Thank you for that. But I have to admit, I wouldn't know where to start with raising humans, let alone a Pooka." She says.

"We'd figure it out. We've done well so far." Aster smiles and leans forward to steal a kiss, moving his lips over hers. She lets out a small sound and then puts her hands on his shoulders when he moves to pull away. Fever deepens the kiss, tilting her head and running her fingers through the soft fur at his nape.

When Aster strokes his tongue over hers, she moves onto his lap and settles there, running her hands down his chest. His paws travel over her sides before resting on her rear, making her smile. He pulls her shorts and underwear down and she lifts herself off of his body in order to scoot them down her legs.

"You know this is how we got here, right?" She giggles, making Aster smirk. He just moves his hips upwards against her, and she sighs as she feels how hard he is already. She moves her entrance against him lightly, rocking back and forth and watching his eyes close. His fingers dig into her flesh as he continues to expand, focusing on the feeling of her above him.

Fever stares down at his face, taking in his pleasure and wanting to take him even further. She reaches down to grasp him and watches his mouth open in a gasp, positioning him under her and slowly lowering herself down, enveloping him. His eyes snap open and she smiles down at him, beginning a slow rhythm and ignoring his silent pleas to speed up.

She rides him slowly the entire time, savoring the moment and enjoying being in charge. Aster leans up to kiss her again, and she continues to tease him with the gentle pace until he jerks under her, a low groan leaving him. She moans as he empties himself, and gives a few more thrusts until she gasps with her own release.

"I love you." She mumbles, cradling his head between her hands and staring adoringly into his eyes.

"I love you too."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Yeah so I said this story wasn't going to be as smut-tastic as "A Fine Line." I'm proofreading all of the chapters I've written and it turns out... it kind of is. I blame the smut fairy. Anyway, review please!


	6. raging hormones

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter: 6

A month later things seem to go almost back to normal. The excitement of the announcement dies down and Fever gains back control over her powers, allowing her to find some sense of normalcy again before her world is tipped upside down. The only thing that seems different is her constant hunger, and the fact that her stomach was already beginning to swell. She wasn't complaining much, though. She hadn't been getting any sickness yet, and the emotional instability that was rumored to take over hadn't done so, and she could use her excuse of pregnancy to make Aster do everything she wanted, no matter how trivial. It was all great, until she woke up one morning and realized that revenge was just around the corner.

Fever sighs and stretches as she wakes, savoring the warmth that Aster emanates next to her, and then her nose twitches when it is tickled by something soft. She cracks her eyes open and brushes at it, and then notices something else touch her elbow.

"What the…" She pushes herself up and glances around her, staring at the bed covered in small gray spots, and then she picks up one of the soft pieces and realizes what they are. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." She grumbles in disbelief, rolling the tuft of fur in her fingers. One glance at Aster shows that he is indeed missing patches, and it makes her want to flee while she still can. Even in his sleep his expression is one of irritation, and his nose and ears keep twitching as if he's uncomfortable.

Once a year he always went through this seven to ten day phase where he shed his fur, and it was by far the worst week of her existence. She had only gone through it twice, but had vowed that she would get over it, as it wasn't something that was going to stop. Still, she found herself carefully rising from the bed as not to wake him. Aster became the biggest baby during this time; he was hormonal and even the simplest little issues drove him crazy. The previous year she had tried to tidy up the burrow a little, moving some of her clothes around, and he had completely flipped out on her. The few times that they had become fed up with each other and threatened to end the relationship, it was due to his shedding.

Fever brushes another clump of fur off of her shoulder and tries to leave the burrow before he wakes up, but she has no such luck. Aster groans and rolls over, his eyes opening to land on her, and she can practically hear the bell tolling in her honor.

"You're so loud. Why are you up already?" She just barely manages to keep herself from snapping that she hadn't made hardly any noise, but just watches silently as he sits up with a petulant expression. "What time is it?"

"How should I know? I just got up." Fever says, and busies herself with getting dressed while he continues to wake up.

"I'm shedding." His tone is merely factual as he pulls at his loose fur.

"Yes, you are."

"Ugh. I hate shedding."

"No kidding." He glares up at her and she knows to keep her mouth shut. Usually they got through it best if they didn't test each other's patience. However, Aster stands and shakes all over, sending the gray puffs everywhere. "Will you _stop?_ You're making a mess!"

"I'll clean it up." He snaps back, and Fever rubs her temples as she senses the beginning of a very long, very irritating week. "I'm sorry, sheila." She grits her teeth and tries to smile at him, not wanting to put up with his mood swings. He was fully aware of what the cycle did to his attitude, and often tried to keep his spirits up, but he rarely succeeded.

"Maybe a bath will help." She says gently, and he nods before heading out of the burrow to the river. Normally she would join him, but she had a feeling that he would not be up to her company in the next few minutes or so. Instead, she focuses on finding something for breakfast, and wonders if it is too late to find Val and work some overtime.

xoXox

"No!" Fever flinches at the outburst, and calmly walks out of the burrow into the sunlight to see what the problem is. She could only imagine at this point, as he had already complained about not being in the mood for carrots, ate them anyway while grudgingly saying they were fine, claiming that she did something different to her hair, which she denied, and moved every bit of furniture in the burrow at least twice due to them not being "properly placed."

Apparently this time there was something wrong with the plants that painted the eggs. Aster inspects an egg in his paw, shaking his head and grumbling.

"This color is all wrong! Look!" She does so indulgingly, and only sees a pretty shade of blue.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Everything! It's supposed to be a soft shade! It's too close to cerulean and not enough pastel!" Fever raises an eyebrow, and he continues to whine, gesturing wildly to the plants that seem to cower beneath him. "And it's supposed to swirl around the egg, not cover it completely!"

"Oh, no." She mumbles in false horror, and he turns to her, his eyes livid.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand! You have nothing to do with Easter, of course you don't care!"

"I didn't say that I didn't care."

"You don't have to. It's written all over your face!" He points a finger at her accusingly, and she rolls her eyes.

"I just think you're being a little overdramatic. I mean, aren't I supposed to be the hormonal one?"

"I am not hormonal! I am _fine!" _At his last word, he strikes his arm down, and a mocking tuft of fur falls to the ground, making him growl. "Damn it!" He reaches down to collect the fur, only succeeding in making more fall out from various spots on his body, and Fever bites her lip to hold in a laugh. He just looked so ridiculous, all frazzled and cranky, and the fact that he looked like an ill-cared for shag carpet only made it more amusing. "Don't laugh at me!" This time his tone is miserable, and it makes her stop laughing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did!" She sighs when his tone turns angry again, and turns around to leave him to his mood.

"I can't deal with this. I'm going to work for a little while."

"Good!" With that she locks onto Val's signal and teleports to meet him. He is surprised to see her during so odd a time, but she merely tells him that Aster is shedding, and it clears all confusion.

"He's driving me crazy, and it's only been a few days. I can't handle any more."

"You signed up for a rabbit, sis. I don't know what to tell you."

"Yeah, but I signed up for a man, too. How the hell was I supposed to know he got PMS?" Val laughs, and the sound just barely manages to cheer her up. "Seriously Val. It's times like these that I feel as if someone is testing me."

"I don't know what to tell you, sis. Relationships aren't easy. You should know that by now." Fever sighs. She had seen enough in their work to know that being with someone _was _work, but it was often a temptation to ignore the tough times and focus on the honeymoon phase. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think? I'm ready to tear his head off."

"I meant about the baby." Val gives her a small sympathetic smile, and then gestures to her stomach. Fever feels a moment of guilt when she realizes that she had almost completely forgotten about it. "I just don't want you to get too stressed."

"I'm fine. Can you try not to handle me with kid gloves?"

"No promises."

xoXox

Aster scratches his back awkwardly, trying to accelerate the process. He tries to ignore the irritation boiling within him and keep his composure. He _did _feel bad about scaring Fever off with his mood swings, but he honestly couldn't help it. He always felt off when he went through this time of his life, but usually he was alone when it took place and just remained miserable by himself in the burrow. The last two years had been a learning period for them both as they learned to cope with it. However, today it seemed that "coping" meant separating until he stopped acting like a brat.

He sighs and continues to look around the Warren, seeming to notice every little thing that is off; flowers that have planted themselves in the wrong spots, plants that were growing eggs either too big or too small, and the accumulation of fur being left behind was beginning to drive him crazy as well.

It isn't until later that night that Fever returns to the burrow from working, and the moment she leaves her weapons and armor in a spot other than the corner they usually remain, he jumps on them and hops to the other side of the room to put them in the other corner. She sighs and sits on the bed to pull her boots off, and instantly he is there as well, moving them to a place he deems more suitable.

"Okay seriously?" She mutters.

"I'm just trying to keep everything orderly." Aster defends, tossing her boots into their usual corner. Fever just ignores him and makes a point to put her overcoat in the dresser where it belonged. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's okay. I know you're a little…" She lets the sentence hang, not wanting to offend him. "Anyway, I'm sorry too. I should be more sympathetic. I know I'd be in a bad mood if my hair was falling out."

"Well let's hope that never happens." Aster smirks and runs a paw through her strawberry blonde curls.

"Are you hoping for the sake of my looks or because you don't want to deal with my attitude?" It is meant as a playful joke, but Aster doesn't seem to take it as one. His arm drops and he frowns. Fever sighs and tries to think about what could have possible upset him _now._

"That's a trick question! I either come off shallow or like an unemotional ratbag!"

"I'm just joking." Fever mumbles as she sits down on the bed, and it doesn't seem to help.

"Well I'm glad my feelings are such a joke to you." Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head, sensing that their attempt to smooth the ruffled feathers was going down the drain.

"Thumper, you need to calm down-"

"I am calm!" Her eyes narrow as his voice rises. If there was something she couldn't stand, it was being yelled at. She stands and walks in front of him to look him right in the eye.

"I understand that you're going through something right now, but you are not going to yell at me."

"Oh, because you never_ ever _yell at me?"

"Watch it, rabbit." She hisses, and he just raises a hand to pluck at the loose fur on his shoulder, making her nose twitch as it tickles her. His eyes soften again and he frowns, his bottom lip practically pouting. She places her palms on his cheeks and sighs, seeing the frustration simmering within him. He looks so pathetic, covered in bald spots and his pupils dilated in his distress. She leans up to give him a peck on the lips, and his eyes close as he moves closer to her. Fever smiles slightly and begins to move her arms around his shoulders when he makes an annoyed sound and pushes her away. "_Now _what is it?"

"It's too hot." She knew that he would be uncomfortable until he got rid of the excess fur that was keeping in his body heat, but he glares at her as if it's completely her fault, and that's when she can't take his mood swings anymore. She continues to grip his shoulders and presses her warmth within him with purpose, making him squirm uncomfortably. She knew the desire wouldn't do much in his agitated state, but the extra heat was enough to make him completely freak out. "You did that on purpose!"

"You're driving me crazy!" She nearly shouts in response, and he pushes her away fully. Fever growls and ignores the pain she feels from the rejection, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can't take this anymore. One minute you're apologetic and the next you're treating me as if I'm the reason for all of your problems."

"Well you are." He says, and her jaw drops. "You're sassy and annoying and don't know when to quit."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"You're just like you were when we first met, still trying to pick a fight."

"Oh yeah! Because you _never _do anything to instigate them! I tend to remember a few times when you treated me and Val like dirt because we weren't special enough to be Guardians. We're just mediocre Spirits whose work doesn't really count, right?"

"If the boots fit…" Aster growls, and Fever stares up at him, her eyes furious. They thought they had gotten over the issue of job inequality. Apparently it was still a sore spot. She strikes out her hand in retaliation, pouring more warmth through her palm and causing him more discomfort. "Stop it!" He tries to move away from her but she continues to follow him, poking him all over spitefully. "Stop!"

"Stop! Stop!" She mocks, and Aster feels slight remorse when her voice cracks and her eyes water. "I'm sorry, I don't understand! I don't even count. How can I possibly bother someone as important as _you?"_

"I guess it's just one of your gifts! Eternal infuriation!"

"Well then why do you stay with me, hm?"

"Because I love you, damn it! And sometimes I honestly don't know why!" They glare at each other, Fever having stopped her assault. The backhanded praise catches her off guard, but it doesn't make her feel any better, and Aster is so irritated by her words and her actions that it is clear there will be no making amends any time soon. Fever walks over to the corner where he had stashed her boots, and pulls them on silently while Aster continues to glare at her.

"I'm going to Cyprus for a few days." She says quietly, and before he can even say anything for or against it, she disappears. Aster just throws himself onto the bed face first, and curses into the comforter. _I'm sorry. _

He lies there for a while, just stewing in his own misery. He wonders how they were going to handle many more years of this. While their love was enough to bring them together, sometimes he wondered if it was enough to _keep _them together. He thought and hoped so…

But now with the baby coming into the picture, it only made him even more worried. He wanted nothing more than to chase after Fever, and he knew that she would want to come back as well. But both of them had too much pride and were far too stubborn to actually do it; so the only thing he could do was wait.

xoXox

Val glares down at Fever's sleeping form, shaking his head. She had been crashing in Cyprus for the last week, and seemed to have no intention of returning to the Warren any time soon. He had assumed that after Aster was done with his cycle that things would go back to normal, but as usual she was trying to act as if she had done nothing wrong. He sighs and puts a hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake. She groans and slaps at him, pulling the blankets over her head, but it doesn't deter him in the slightest.

"Come on, get up!"

"No."

"Don't make me hit you." He isn't talking about his fists, of course. He would never do that. But he had tried to talk her into going back to Aster many times already and threatened more than once to use one of his arrows to do so. While he wanted them to work their problems out himself, his center told him to do whatever it took to save their relationship, and if he had to implant artificial love within either of them to do it, then he would. They would get over it eventually.

"Val, just go away." She mumbles, and he frowns at her tone. It isn't even annoyed. It's just dead.

"How long are you going to run from him, hm?"

"I'm not running." She peeks out from the blankets to glare at him, and he takes advantage of it, pulling them off completely. She lets out a frustrated breath and sits up, and he sits on the bed next to her. Her eyes are red, and even though she wouldn't admit it he knows she had been crying.

"You are. And you're even more upset than I thought you'd be. Why?"

"It's just the hormones." She mumbles, breaking eye contact.

"No, it's not. What's wrong? You and Bunny have argued before." She just shrugs, and he gives her a look to stay put before leaving the room. Fever watches him leave and raises a hand to wipe at her damp cheeks. He comes back with a tray of food, and she instantly perks up, reaching out for the glass of orange juice, the first of her new cravings.

She and Val eat breakfast in silence for a bit, but she knows that the interrogation is coming. She hadn't meant to stay there for as long as she had, and figured Val would eventually find out that she'd, in his words, ran, but if she were honest with herself she'd say that she was just scared. She polishes off the last of her breakfast and looks Val directly in the eye, trying to convince herself otherwise.

"Why don't you just say what you want to say?"

"Alright. You're an idiot." She doesn't even reply, because she can't deny it, and she doesn't even want to. "Both of you are idiots, because you won't face the fact that sometimes relationships have little speed bumps."

"I'd say we faced that fact head on. The problem is-"

"That you aren't mature enough to handle them." Val interrupts her, and now she does glare at him. "Take this past week for example. You've been together for two years, and you still act as if his mood swings during his shedding cycle are a surprise. You could have just been more understanding and not pushed his buttons, but no, you had to push and push and push!"

"I didn't-" She cuts herself off when she realizes that he must have talked to Aster, and their little spat was now obviously public knowledge. "Whose side are you _on?"_

"Your relationship's side. I'm Cupid, remember?"

"How can I forget?"

"I think you should talk to him."

"I tried that, and he yelled at me."

"Tough tits, Fever." She lets out a choked laugh, and he smiles at having caught her off guard and managed a smile out of her. "Look, you guys need to fix this, okay? This relationship has done well so far, and I'm happy for you. But you can't let every argument chase you away and make you hate each other for a week and then get back together. You're never going to grow together as a couple if you let that happen." Before she can say anything against Aster, he continues. "I've already said the same to Bunny. And he agrees with me."

"Of course he does. Because he's the _smart _one. After all, we're just lowly peasants in the Guardians' world." Val's mouth twists unpleasantly and he instantly takes her hand in his with a purpose, making her jump. "What are you-"

"We're going to end this right now."

xoXox

The morning that Aster wakes up to no new fur loss is a happy one. He moves over to the mirror and smiles when he sees only soft, shiny fur growing in place of the previous layer. Not only was he looking less scruffy, but he was feeling better, too. His nerves seemed less active and even the little bit of clutter around the burrow didn't set him off. It does, however, make him frown as he remembers that Fever is still avoiding him in Cyprus. It seemed like just yesterday that she was avoiding him because she was afraid of his reaction to the pregnancy. This time was completely different, because both of them had a play in the latest quarrel.

He walks over to the dresser and pulls out the shirt that is hanging halfway out. His fingers savor the soft material and can't help but bring it up to his nose, her lingering scent making him ache for her.

"Come back, baby doll." He prays, and sits on the bed, his ears drooping back. He had come clean to Val, telling him everything, including his harsh words about them that were completely false. He didn't know why he said it. He wanted to blame it on his shedding, but he knew that it was an excuse. It was true that he had thought once that she and her brother were not as important as them, but that view had been turned completely around, and now he had more respect for all of the Spirits. He understood that everyone had their own reason for being chosen, and as they all kept the world spinning together, there could be no hierarchy.

The only reason he could come up with is that he wanted to make her as miserable as he was, which was low, but he was not entirely himself. In order to do so he targeted her biggest insecurity and the most hurtful statement he knew would do the trick; her significance. It was stupid and mean, and he felt horrible, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it with her holed up in Cyprus…

Aster jumps when loud voices appear out of nowhere, both of which he knows very well. Val is holding an irate and disheveled Fever by the arm, and she tries to push him away as he shoves her into Aster's direction, surprising both of them. He catches her out of instinct and she jumps, looking at him in confusion before seeming to realize where her brother had taken her.

"Val?" Aster asks, and the other man just points to the both of them with a stern expression.

"You two are going to fix this. Fever, you weren't understanding of Aster's situation and treated it as an inconvenience rather than comforting him in his time of need."

"Crikey, mate, you make me sound like a sissy." Val shrugs as if to dodge the pointed statement, and looks at him accusingly as well.

"And Aster, you used your little issue as an excuse to be an asshole. Sorry, but that's the truth of it. Fix it." With that, he disappears, leaving the two startled lovers in the burrow alone. Fever steps away from him awkwardly, and he clears his throat, unsure where to start. Thankfully, she does so for him.

"I'm sorry." It's not much, but it gives him a little bit of relief.

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean what I said about you and Val. You are so important, not only as a Spirit, but you're important to me, too." She smiles slightly, and he continues, desperate to get her to understand. "I'm so used to being on my own. These last two years have been different. I wouldn't give it up for anything, but I'm still learning how to go from being single to having someone I care so much about being in my home."

"I'm still getting used to it, myself. Do you want to have a part-time live-in situation?" Her eyes are gentle, showing that she didn't mean it as a spiteful comment, but merely a suggestion, and Aster instantly shakes his head.

"No. I want you here with me."

"But what if it just doesn't get any better? I'm sorry I treated you as if you had an illness when it's something completely natural. I just…"

"No, I know I can be a bit difficult during that time. And it _will _get better. Even if we just need to sleep in different beds for that week, Val's right."

"I hate it when he's right." Fever grumbles, making him laugh.

"Well you can't deny that he knows what he's talking about when it comes to this kind of stuff." Her expression says that she wants to try, but she just moves toward him again and embraces him. He wraps his arms around her as well, and they just stand there for a moment. "Still… do you think you can handle a few more of these?" Fever sighs dramatically and leans back to look up at him, her eyes filled with amusement.

"I suppose I can try." She says, and he smiles before kissing her lightly. She really didn't find the idea of more mood swings pleasant, but it was better than the alternative of not having him at all. She was sure she had some habits herself that drove him crazy, and he still put up with them. She supposed that that was the price to pay when you find love, and she would willingly continue to pay it, for their sake and the baby's.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Have you ever lived with someone who had a habit that just drove you absolutely insane? Thanks **Whitwhit1893** for the suggestion of the "shedding cycle." I hadn't thought of that before and it was fun to write, so I hope you liked it! I have been meaning to have a little spat between them and this was the perfect opportunity. Faster has problems just like any other couple!

Also, if anyone else has an idea you'd like to see in this, let me know in a review or private message and I will do my best to insert it within my chapters if it can blend nicely. Usually there is some wiggle room that I can play with if I get an idea. And if it doesn't, I'm already planning on this story having some outtakes after the epilogue, so there's still a chance of it being written.


	7. too damned fertile

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 7:

Despite Fever's adamant refusal of a baby shower, Tooth was determined to take advantage of the rare situation. She had put her fairies in charge for the night and joined the two other girls at the Pole, just as she had suggested. Fever still refused to deal with any kind of nasty baby food, but she happily enjoyed the sweets that the yetis prepared for them, and the pink and blue decorations that covered the globe room made her laugh. Also, she couldn't deny that she needed a girls' night after the "shedding" debacle.

"We figured before we know the sex we'd just cover both bases." Truth smiles at her as they all sit in front of the fireplace, nibbling on cookies and cupcakes with pink and blue frosting.

"Thanks. That's sweet."

"I think it will be a girl. I wonder how long it will take for their teeth to come in." Tooth grins, and places her head in her hands as her eyes glaze over with happiness.

"We'll make sure to let you know as soon as they appear." Fever promises with a smile. "It's still crazy to think that in several months we're going to be parents. It seems like just yesterday that you guys made me spill the beans."

"Well obviously the talk went well since we're here." Tooth gives her a look that clearly said "I told you so" and Fever suppresses a blush. "But I still want to know the details."

"What do you mean?"

"How did you tell him? And what did he say?"

"How did this turn from a baby shower to a sleepover?" Fever raises an eyebrow at her instant desire for personal story time.

"Oh, come on! We've known Aster practically our entire lives. You can't blame us for wanting to see his sweeter side."

"I'm sure it wasn't all sweet. He was pretty upset." Truth says, and Fever knows that she will never be completely forgiven for hurting his feelings and making him worry about the state of their relationship.

"It was a little intense." Fever says, and the other two instantly lean forward in anticipation. "He thought I was going to break up with him, obviously. I had to convince him that that wasn't it. And then I tried to tell him why my powers weren't working, and he thought I was dying."

"Oh, no." Tooth's eyes widen at the idea of him considering something so horrible. She knew how sensitive Aster was to loss, and so having Fever die so soon after they found each other would have made the other Guardians lose him as well. "You convinced him that you were fine, right?"

"Of course. I just had to stop floundering with my words. So finally I just straight out told him. He obviously wasn't expecting it, but he was so happy that he started crying." The other two women sigh and let out pleased sounds at the same time, making Fever laugh.

"The only time I've seen him cry is when we thought Sandy was dead."

"Well I'm assuming this time was out of happiness rather than grief." Truth says, making Tooth roll her eyes.

"Well, obviously."

"Anyway, he was really happy. I don't know why I was so silly to think he wouldn't be."

"Well he _is _the first guy you've loved since John. No doubt there is some residual anxiety."

"But I never expected that he would think I was cheating on him."

"I'm sure he didn't think you were cheating. But many people fall in and out of love throughout their lives. He didn't know what was going on, so he was probably overthinking it like we would expect him to, and coming up with the most common issue that couples experience."

"Sure, but after adultery resulted in the death of my fiancé, don't you think I would be a bit shy of it?" Fever can't stop the bitterness in her voice, and she sees that Tooth regrets implying that she would take it so lightly. "I would never betray someone like that. If you really love someone, you don't throw away all respect and affection for them and go to someone else. I love Aster with all that I have. And just because I'm the Spirit of Lust does not mean that I am a tramp."

"I never said that." Tooth says, desperately trying to assure her that she didn't think of her that way.

"It's okay." Truth tells her, putting a hand on her feathered shoulder. "Fever, we know that you love him. And no one is judging you because of your center." Fever just frowns despite her best friends' words, suddenly feeling as if the party had taken a very un-fun turn. "Aster loves you too, and I'm sure he knows that you would never do that to him."

"I know he does." Fever says, and feels the words ring true. "Anyway, I'm just glad that he's excited about this. I'm still working on believing."

"Well, believe it. Soon the burrow is going to be filled with the sounds of coos and crying."

"Hopefully more coos that crying." Fever says with a sigh. "Please tell me you guys got me some books, at least." Tooth laughs, and the previous tension lightens as the fairy passes Fever a wrapped parcel.

"We did. They're all related to human-only pregnancies, but we figured they would be better than nothing." Fever grins and opens the wrapping paper, taking in the covers of the books with pictures of women either holding infants or with their still-large stomachs and smiling.

"Well they look happy." She smirks. "Let's see…" She flips open to a random page and then gasps, nearly dropping it. "Ewww!"

"What?" Truth leans forward to see, and then her face reflects horror as well.

"What in the world _is _that?"

"I don't know! It looks horrible!"

"Let me see, let me see!" Tooth begs, and then squeals in disgust and pushes the book away.

"Didn't you two look inside of these before you got them?"

"No, I figured it would include how to raise a baby, not the details of the birth!"

"Ugh. If this is what happens because of my profession, then I quit. No woman should have to go through that."

"I'd love to see that conversation go down with the Man in the Moon." Truth laughs.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Just, maybe skip those few pages." Tooth pushes the books aside. "I don't see how reading a book can help when you're at that point anyway. I mean, if you're in the middle of labor, who thinks to open the book?"

"And if you have Pooka then the books might not apply, anyway."

"Ugh, I can only hope that if they _are _then they're not as horrible as their father when they shed."

"When they what?" Tooth's eyes widen in confusion, and it makes Fever consider that the others wouldn't know about his shedding season. They most likely wouldn't have been around during it, as he was so hormonal that he locked himself up in the Warren the entire time.

"Shed their fur. Aster turns into such a big baby, whining and snapping at me. The entire last week was just me trying to avoid him so I wouldn't smack him."

"Aren't you the one who's supposed to be hormonal?" Truth asks with a grin, and Fever laughs.

"That's exactly what I said. But I'm determined to stay completely sane during this. I mean, how bad could it be?"

xoXox

Two and a half months later Fever understands why her female friends back in her mortal days had complained so much about pregnancy. However, her experience was obviously going to be very different from theirs. At four and a half months, she was already unable to see her feet. Even she knew that was not normal. Her back was aching constantly and her feet were so swollen that she needed to have the cherubs make her a new pair of boots. Obviously she'd outgrown her normal clothes much sooner than expected as well. She was forced to wear the casual gowns she usually wore around Cyprus, but she had needed to sew new sizes to fit her way too big stomach.

Fever sighs and turns in the mirror, trying to determine whether or not she had indeed gotten bigger over the previous night. Aside from her size and discomfort, there was also the almost constant feeling of exhaustion. It was as if the energy was being zapped out of her, much more than should happen with a normal pregnancy.

"But you're not normal." She says aloud, shaking her head. She rubs her stomach soothingly, but everything is still. She hadn't felt a kick at all yet, and she was wondering if she ever would. The only thing that reassured her of the baby's presence was the ever constant heartbeat that joined hers. However, it was strange and she was unable to truly identify her own from the baby's. She couldn't even really tell if there was more than one. By her size she was starting to suspect twins, and that scared her beyond belief. She sighs and pulls her dress over her head, stretching her sore muscles. She needed to get out.

Aster had unofficially put her on house arrest when he noticed that her feet were beginning to ache. She had tried to convince him otherwise, but he watched her like a hawk and would not be fooled. So he had been using every excuse to keep her in the burrow, and it was driving her crazy. She leaves her weapons where they had been temporarily out of service for the last two months. They had gained mysterious damage despite her not using them for a while, and the cherubs were unable to give her replacements for an unknown reason. She wanted to blame Aster, but it was obvious that Val had something to do with it as well. The joke was on them though, because by them taking away her defense, she was now a completely helpless pregnant woman with no way of protecting herself. She smirks at the irony and slips on her comfortable pair of walking boots before teleporting to the church to see Truth.

She groans as she feels her legs begin to give out from under her when she lands, and she places a hand on one of the cement pillars as the dizzy spell wears off.

"Fever?" A hand pats her back and Truth turns her to look at her pale face. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"I'm okay. I had to get out of that burrow." She says, and feels her clammy forehead.

"You look horrible." The angel frowns at her. "And you're even bigger than the last time I saw you." Her eyes widen and she places her hand on Fever's stomach, her brow furrowing in concentration. "I still can't see it."

"Them."

"What?"

"There has to be more than one. I'm way too big already and I feel as if I have no energy. I need to know what's going on with me." Fever says, desperate for answers.

"Does Aster know you're out?"

"Of course not." She scoffs. "He only left the Warren because he had to check on the plant life somewhere after a really bad storm. I had to practically sneak out before he got back."

"You know he doesn't like it when you-"

"Yeah, well, when he's pregnant he can boss himself around!" Fever snaps, making Truth burst out in laughter.

"Somehow I don't see that happening." She says, and then she hums in thought for a moment before smiling. "I might have an idea. That book in the library mentioned that Mother Nature chose certain Spirits, right? Well, what if we go see her?"

"Mother Nature?"

"Yeah. I know where she resides. Do you have a landing site in Oregon?" Fever nods. "Okay, get us as close to the mountains as possible." Fever takes a deep breath and grasps Truth's hand, honing in on the area where they would supposedly find the woman they sought.

As soon as they land Fever is once again annoyed by the lingering dizziness.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle four and a half more months of this." She mumbles, gritting her teeth and trying desperately not to let the nausea kick in.

"Ah, there you are!" She jumps at the unfamiliar voice and turns, her eyes widening at the sight of a woman covered head to toe in leaves, vines, and flowers, her skin tinted green. She looked like a modern day nymph. Her eyes were kind, and she had the energy of a loving and caring soul that made Fever's defenses lower. She felt as if she could completely trust this woman despite her unusual appearance. She instantly knew that this was Mother Nature. She moves closer to the two younger women with a gentle smile, and reaches a hand out to Fever, resting it on her cheek. "I knew you'd come see me. My, look at you! You're absolutely glowing!"

"That's because I feel sick." Fever says, and Mother Nature just titters happily.

"Great Mother, we have come with questions." Truth says politely.

"Of course you have. Come and sit dear. You look exhausted."

"Thank you." Fever mumbles and sits down with the nymph, resting on some soft moss. They were in a fully wooded area with moss covered trees and rocks, not too far from Mount Hood. Truth sits primly beside her, smiling at Mother Nature as if they were close friends.

"I knew you would come see me." She says again, and this time she looks Fever completely up and down. "I always knew you would be a perfect vessel. Not only have you procreated on time, but with a Pooka no less! Oh, it's so exciting!" She claps her hands together and laughs, and Fever can't help but smile. Of course she would know her choice of mate. She had apparently had this planned since her rebirth. "Now, what are your worries?"

"Well, first of all, am I supposed to be _this_ big already? I'm only-"

"Four and a half months."

"Yes." Fever mutters, uncomfortable. _What else does she know?_

"I'm sorry. It's just that I've been waiting for this for so long. Now, do you mind if I take a look?"

"Um… a look?" Mother Nature nods, and after a moment, puts her hand on Fever's stomach, right over her now protruding navel, and closes her eyes. She just sits there for a minute, completely silent, and Fever turns to look at Truth, who just gives her a reassuring nod. Mother Nature's fingers caress her covered flesh for one more moment before her eyes open again and she makes a surprised sound.

"Huh. Well, you certainly are a fertile couple, aren't you?" Fever blushes and Mother Nature laughs again. "You're just fine, sweetie. The reason you're so large already is because you're carrying triplets!" She grins and the other two girls' jaws drop. Fever nearly chokes on nothing and looks down at herself as if she were able to see through her skin at the babies.

"Triplets?" She shrieks, and Truth lets out a small laugh.

"Yes. Three healthy babies. Or bunnies, I should say."

"B-b-bunnies?" Fever stutters, feeling her vision closing in on her.

"Yes, bunnies! You're having three little Pooka kits. Isn't that just … oh, dear." Truth reaches out a hand to catch Fever's shoulder as she falls backward, gasping. "Maybe I should have warned her, hm?" Mother Nature reaches to one of her arms and plucks off a small leaf before holding it up to Fever's mouth. "Here, eat this. It may help."

"At least now we know why you're so tired." Truth says, rubbing her back comfortingly as Fever struggles to chew the leaf. "You are eating for four now."

"Yes. You will definitely need to watch the physical exertion, and you should probably work on your eating habits. You reside in Cyprus, yes?" Mother Nature asks, and nods without even waiting for an answer. Fever was beginning to wonder why she even bothered asking when she seemed to know everything. "Eat more of the fruit that your trees bare. They should help give you more energy and settle your stomach. They should also stop your dizzy spells when you travel."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Is there anything else?"

"Of course." Fever says incredulously. "How am I supposed to birth Pooka kits?"

"Everything will be fine, don't you worry. You were designed for this, remember?"

"Why me? And why now?"

"Oh, for the same reasons that any of the others are chosen. You are the first to succeed in finding your soul mate of course, but you all have something within you that would make good parents. You, for example, have your passion at your center. You protect those you love and that is one of the most important things about being a mother. As for the timing, I assumed you and your mate wouldn't be as keen about children if you were still working the kinks out of your relationship. I decided to postpone the pregnancy until the most opportune moment." Mother Nature smiles at her, and Fever blushes at the innuendo, but can't help feeling somewhat honored. "Do not worry, dear. All will be well." She leans forward and kisses Fever's forehead, making her jump in surprise, and then she places her hand on her stomach one last time before whispering words that neither of the other women can understand. "Go in peace."

"Thank you, Great Mother." Truth says, and she helps Fever stand up.

"Of course. Come and see me any time if you have more questions."

"Thank you." Fever mumbles, and the nymph smiles and walks into the shadows of the trees before disappearing. She stands there for a moment in slight shock. _I'm having Pooka kits. Three of them. We're having Pooka triplets. _She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I can't believe this."

"Well, it's better than figuring out that you're carrying a giant, right?" Truth jokes, and Fever smirks at her attempt to distract her.

"Truth, how the hell am I supposed to raise three Pooka kits?"

"Are you forgetting that your boyfriend is a Pooka?" The angel laughs in response. "I'm sure it will be fine. And anyway, Mother Nature blessed you, so really nothing is likely to go wrong. Now, let's go get you some fruit from home, hm?"

xoXox

When Fever returns to the burrow that night with a bag full of fruit in hand, she fully expects Aster's irritation, and she is not disappointed. She sets the bag on the bed and immediately pulls off her boots just as he opens his mouth to let her have it.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't be leaving the Warren, but I was going crazy and I needed to get out and I got some answers about my pregnancy so just shove it!" She says before he can even get a word out. He scoffs and moves closer to her to see what is in the bag. "They're fruit from Cyprus. Mother Nature says that I should eat them. They'll make me feel better."

"Mother Nature?"

"Yeah. Truth took me to see her. She figured that since it was her book that we found the information in, that it's her we should go see. So we did."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"You would have said no." The look on Aster's face tells her that she is right, and she frowns. "This is a partnership, Aster. You can't keep me locked up in here when you fear for my safety."

"Sorry." He doesn't sound like it, but she lets it go. She sits on the bed and he does the same, watching her eat the plump orange fruits that she brought back with her. "So what did she say?" Fever swallows the soft sweet flesh in her mouth before answering with a smile.

"Everything is fine, and will be fine. The reason why I'm so big is because we're having three Pooka kits. So I hope you're happy, because they're sucking the energy right out of me." She says with a playful scowl. She watches happily as the surprise changes his expression, and then he is laughing.

"Three?"

"Three." She says with a sigh, and she leans back to sit against his chest, closing her eyes. "I thought it would be tough having one of either species. But apparently we're just too damned fertile for our own good."

"And these were Mother Nature's words?"

"Not exactly. But she seems to believe in us."

"So do I." He says, and then nods toward the fruit in her hand. "So how many of those do you need to eat?" She shrugs and takes another bite.

"I dunno. I can always get Val to bring me more." She mumbles with her mouth full, and Aster tuts at her.

"Shame on you, sheila. How are you supposed to teach our children manners if you don't have any?" She throws the core of the fruit at him, making him laugh, and then she turns around and cuddles against him as best she can with her stomach in the way.

"I'm so tired." At her sigh he picks her up gently and pulls her to the head of the bed, pulling the blankets away so he can tuck her in.

"Sleep well, baby doll." Before he even finishes speaking she is non-responsive, and Aster smiles before kissing her on the forehead and getting ready for bed himself.

He had been more worried than annoyed when he discovered that she had left the Warren, but he had to admire her idea of seeing Mother Nature for answers. He also hated seeing her so exhausted and uncomfortable, so the fact that eating whatever kind of fruit that grew in her home helped her made him feel much better. _Pooka triplets. _He smiles and shakes his head. He should have expected no less. It definitely did explain why she was getting so exhausted. He couldn't help his excitement though. He had been honest when he told her that he would love to have little Pooka running around. And now he was getting that family that he never thought he would have. Everything seemed absolutely perfect.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Awww! Well I'm sure by the title you guys knew they would be Pooka kits. Coming up next is Aster's first trip to Cyprus and more fluff! Review please!


	8. pushing boundaries

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following.

I want to give a shout out to all of you who have reviewed so far: **Guest, bluealonealexarose, TheMarchHare-GuardianOfCourage, M.J. Ethreal, Edam Aster Bunnymund, Whitwhit1893, **and **EncyclopediaBrittanica**! Thanks so much, you guys are so awesome! Every time you leave a comment it makes me that much more determined to make you guys happy. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the last, if not more!

Chapter 8:

Everything was absolutely horrible. Fever was beginning to resent Mother Nature's choice two months later. The fruit from Cyprus had been helping a lot with her dizzy spells and she seemed to have more energy than before, but she was officially being treated like an invalid by almost everyone. Aster had threatened more than once to tie her to the bed in the burrow if she tried to stay on her feet for too long, and he had joined Val in practically shoving fruit down her throat every minute of the day.

She was even banned from working. She had explained to Val that she needed to get out into the field and spread her desire now that her powers were finally settled, but he had straight out ignored her and demanded that she wait until after she had given birth. He had said that he could look after her couples for a while and they would be fine with a little bit of a dry spell so long as he kept the affection going. She completely disagreed, but she was outvoted.

Fever wasn't going to try to lie and say that she was completely fine. She felt ready to pop at any moment, and the constant heartbeats in her ears were driving her insane. It was nice to know that they were healthy, but by them being a part of her she seemed constantly aware of them, and having three other beings constantly knocking on her mental door was making her want to scream.

"You guys are so loud, and yet you never seem to move." She says aloud, rubbing her stomach. "You would think as bunnies you would be hopping all over the place." Still no response. Fever sighs and stands to stretch her legs again. She knew that the last time she had left the burrow it had caused some tension between her and Aster, but the tension in her back and her sanity was more important at the moment. She had to do _something, _and unlike Val, she didn't believe that a little dry spell would do nothing to her couples. If they lost interest in each other, then what would happen then?

Her mind made up, she teleports out onto the rooftops that she knew so well, smiling as she realizes that the fruit had helped her teleporting sickness. She hums to herself and continues to rub her stomach as she walks along, checking on her couples and occasionally sending out waves of passionate energy from her fingertips. They weren't as strong since they weren't through direct contact, but they would suffice for now. She giggles as she sees another pregnant woman, much smaller than herself, turn to her husband with a coy smile.

"Ah, babies. This is what mommy does. See those two people in there," She mumbles softly, "I keep their love going strong through physical contact. You're uncle Val got them together with love, but your mommy keeps them together. Hmm, I wonder if you'll all be little lover Pooka, breaking hearts wherever you go. You certainly have the genes for it." She giggles again at the thought of it, and continues to talk quietly to them as she wanders around the city, happy to be feeling more like herself again.

It isn't until the third hour though, that she begins to feel the effect of using up so much energy. _I should have brought some food with me. _She thinks, stopping to rest for a bit. That doesn't seem to help though, as she feels all of the blood rush from her head down to her legs, and her eyes drift shut as she slumps onto the roof.

xoXox

Val pauses in notching an arrow as he feels his connection with Fever dip for a moment, and then come back. He groans as he recognizes that she must have fainted, and immediately latches onto her signal, finding her splayed out on the shingles of a house, her eyelids fluttering as she wakes up.

"You are a pain in the neck, you know that? How hard is it to just relax?"

"You try relaxing with triplet heartbeats in your head." He shrugs, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and puts his hands behind her shoulders to help her sit up. When she pouts at being caught, he just shakes his head and reaches into his satchel to pull out a fruit, shoving it into her hands.

"Eat." She just stares at it defiantly, and then jumps when Val scoops her up into his arms. "I'm taking you home."

"I don't want to go back to the burrow. It's too stuffy." She whines.

"No, I'm taking you to your other home." He says, and teleports them to Cyprus, the suddenly bright clouds and towers making them wince as they adjust from the previous dark night sky. "If you need to walk around and make a nuisance of yourself, you're going to do it where you can recharge." He takes her to her bedroom and lays her down on the bed. "Stay here." With that he disappears, and Fever groans, once again looking at the fruit in her hand before she looks around the familiar walls.

"Good job, babies. You've gotten me in trouble." She imagines them laughing at her, and can't help but smile. It had taken a while getting used to the idea of being a mother, but she could already tell that it was going to be a ride she would gladly take. She couldn't wait to see and hold them, and watch them grow. She had thought Mother Nature was wrong in choosing her. When she was mortal she had always scoffed at the idea of children. She had been around other people's ill-behaved children and could never imagine having some of her own. Even now she wasn't completely fond of the pain or the exhaustion, but obviously Mother Nature had known something about Fever that she had yet to discover herself. She wasn't sure that she would ever have more, seeing as triplets was going to be a lot to handle so soon, but she wouldn't trade in this experience for anything else.

xoXox

Aster watches the brightly colored flower open and reveal a pristine white egg. He smiles as two little legs sprout from the egg and it toddles out from between the petals into his paw. He inspects it for any imperfections and of course finds none, lowering the egg to the grass and watching it run off happily. He stands to inspect the next plant when he notices something unexpected several yards away. His eyes narrow on the male form and he instinctively reaches for his boomerangs before he sees the crimson trench coat and the bow slung across their back. It is a relief, but he is instantly confused as to why Fever's brother would be visiting him.

"Val? What are ya doing here?" He calls out, and the man turns around at his voice with a grim smile. Immediately Aster is on guard, waiting for bad news.

"I caught Fever working herself to exhaustion. I thought you should know."

"What? No, she's in the burrow, asleep."

"No she's not." Val lets out a wry laugh, and Aster growls under his breath. He should have known that she wouldn't listen to him when he told her to rest. He had taken her promise that she wouldn't leave to heart and now here he was, feeling like a fool. "She fainted from working so hard so I took her back to Cyprus."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. But I think you should go see her. Maybe you can convince her this time that it's for her own good if she takes it easy until the birth. She obviously won't listen to me."

"And you think she'll listen to me? She _did_ ditch _me_, after all."

"True." Val says with a shrug. "But it still couldn't hurt. Come on, I'll take you." Aster stares at the man's outstretched hand warily, knowing that the only way to get to their home was to teleport. He had barely survived North's sleigh. There was no way he was going to risk traveling to another dimension. Val sighs and rolls his eyes, sticking his hand out further. "If I thought it would hurt you, I wouldn't offer. You'll be fine. Fever needs you right now."

That makes him pause, and then he hesitantly puts his paw in Val's hand, closing his eyes against the instant fear of being lost during the trip. Val grips him tightly though, and in an instant Aster feels like he's floating, the sensation making him slightly queasy and his legs kick out to find the ground that isn't there. He has to open his eyes, and he is surprised that it looks kind of like when North uses his snow globes; lots of bright colorful lights, and then he is stumbling on suddenly tangible ground beneath him. His eyes adjust to the dim lighting in a bedroom, and then they instantly land on Fever's still body, feeling his heart leap into his throat.

"Damn you, girl." He curses and walks over to her, grasping her hand and feeling her reassuring pulse against his fingers. Her eyes open at hearing his voice and then she gasps and glares at Val.

"You traitor!" She accuses, and he just smirks at her.

"You were supposed to be in the burrow." Aster catches her attention again, and she pouts.

"I'm not a zoo animal and you aren't my keeper! I needed to get out. And I was doing my job just fine until I got tired."

"Yeah, and you almost fell off of a roof!"

"Oh, good God." She scoffs, turning away from him. He grabs her chin to make her look at him again and she gasps at the anger but also concern in his eyes.

"Don't you understand? I don't want you hurt! How hard is it just to listen to me?" His voice strains at the end, and she swallows roughly as she realizes just how upset he is. "For your sake, and for the children, just stay safe, alright?" She stares at him, and then her eyes glance over to where Val was, and he is gone, clearly having seen that they needed some privacy.

"Did you seriously teleport here?" He blinks at her, clearly not expecting that. "I'm really okay, Aster. There was no need to come here." He sighs and moves his paw from her chin to run through her hair, feeling the silky strands tickle the pads on his palm, and he frowns.

"Look, I've been without a family for a long time. I'm not willing to risk losing you and the babies now that I've finally got you."

"The Guardians-"

"Are very good friends. But I want and need a family. Someone to love me and someone to love in return. I need you, Fever. So please don't do anything so ridiculously stupid again." Her eyes spark a bit at the not so subtle insult, but she nods, her eyes pricking with tears. She didn't know why she felt like crying, so she blames it on the pregnancy hormones. "Promise me?"

"I promise." He kisses her forehead, closing his eyes for a moment, and then he stands from his position next to the bed and looks around for Val. "He's in the hallway." Aster shakes his head and looks around the room. There were two doors, but one was more ornate, so he opens it and indeed finds Val standing in the hallway, staring up at nothing. When he sees Aster peeking out at him, he smiles.

"Done already? I figured you guys would need a while." Aster glares at him and closes the door.

"So you were just going to stand out here and listen?" Val laughs and shakes his head, and then offers his hand, assuming that Aster was ready to return home. "I'm going to stay for a little while." His eyes widen and his hand drops. "If she needs to get out, then she can do it in the safety of her home. She has plenty of fruit here to help the exhaustion anyway, and the Warren can handle a few days without me."

"You're sure?" Aster nods firmly. He could tell when Fever was homesick for her true home, and he wanted her to be comfortable as she reached the last junctures of her pregnancy. Besides, he had been curious about Cyprus for so long. He would love to enjoy seeing it with her. "Okay. Well, I'm going to be mostly topside for the next few days, so you'll have the place mainly to yourselves aside from the cherubs. They're still holding her weapons hostage by the way, so don't worry about that." Aster laughs and they share a fraternal smile before Val disappears. He glances up and down the gold and crimson hallway for a few moments before opening the door again. Fever sits up in the bed, one hand on her stomach, and he smiles at the sight.

"I'm going to stay here with you for the next few days." Her reaction is identical to Val's; surprise, but he can see the pleasure in her eyes at the idea. "It's obvious that I've kept you locked up too much-"

"You _think_?"

"-and I'm sorry. I was behaving like a controlling-"

"Keyword being _troll_."

"Will you let me finish?" He snaps with a playful glare, and she mimes the act of locking her lips and throwing away the key. He sighs and moves toward the bed to sit next to her, and she instantly leans into his side when he puts an arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, Fever. I never meant to make you feel like a zoo animal, or like you are completely helpless. I just wanted you and the babies to be safe." She nods, feeling his soft fur against her cheek, and then frowns.

"Are you sure you want to stay?"

"Yes. Cyprus makes you stronger, and so it only makes sense that I be here with you. Besides, I've been meaning to see your home for a while now. I'd love it if you'd share it with me." She smiles up at him and he returns it.

"That sounds nice." It touched her that he wanted to learn more about her and her home, and she relaxes against him as she savors the peaceful moment. She feels his paw move over her stomach and she leans up to kiss him. Just as he moves his paw to her neck and deepens the kiss, she feels a shift within her and she jumps, making him move away. She gasps and faintly hears him asking if she is okay, but she just stares at her stomach until she feels another sharp movement, and she lets out a shocked but happy sound. "I think they just…" She grabs his paw and moves it back over her stomach, and he frowns at her in confusion until he feels the quick pressure against his palm, and his eyes widen in shock.

"They're kicking." Fever grins and nods, and they smile at each other as one of the babies continue to move inside of her womb. "I can feel them." Aster's voice is gentle in his reverence, and he strokes her cloth covered skin, feeling his eyes sting with oncoming tears. And then he can't help but smirk at Fever. "See? They agree that you staying here is a good idea." She pulls at his ear in retaliation to his arrogance, and he can't even be angry at the slight pain she causes when they kick again.

"Don't you encourage him." She says to the unborn children, and gets one more kick in response. They continue to sit there, but it seems as if the exercise had worn them out, because there is no more movement after a few minutes. Fever sighs and looks up at Aster again, and he is practically glowing as much as she is. "I wonder if this is how my mother felt when she was pregnant with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well aside from the exhaustion and constant hunger, it just feels… fulfilling. Like I have some proof that I've done something right. It feels wonderful. And after that… just feeling them and knowing they're there, I already love them so much." She says, and then looks up to Aster hesitantly, wanting to ask him something but unsure how to approach it. "Aster… do you remember your parents?"

"Mhmm." He mumbles, and when she can read no agony in his eyes, only nostalgia, she continues.

"What were they like?" A few seconds of silence pass between them, and then Aster finally smiles at her, though his eyes show no small amount of longing for them.

"My father was a lot like me. Or I'm like him, I suppose. He was all about business, and tough. He wouldn't allow me to be coddled at all, but it was obvious that he loved me. He never let me think that he didn't love me." He thinks back to the first time he had learned how to use his boomerangs. He had become so frustrated, and his father had been right there to help him. "My mother was much more forthcoming with her love. Hell, she smothered me most of the time." He laughs, and it makes Fever laugh too. Aster smiles down at the bedspread as he gets lost in the memories of his father's deep voice and his mother's tight embraces.

"_I can't do it!" Aster throws out the boomerang again, this time in completely frustration and anger, and it once again falls to the ground mere feet in front of him. He feels his cheeks burn with humiliation and he kicks at the ground before crossing his arms over his chest. He could feel other eyes on him, but he didn't care. His father puts a paw on his shoulder, but he continues to pout._

"_You're not going to get it right away. You have to work at it." Owen says, and then moves forward to pick the boomerang up. His dark grey fur shines in the sun and he smirks at Aster, who still refuses to look at him. With a shake of his head he checks the boomerang for any imperfections. There was nothing wrong with it, but Aster still hadn't gotten the hang of it, and wouldn't until he learned to trust the magic within it. He had the skill, he just had to lure it out. "Here, I'll show you again, okay?"_

"_What's the point?"_

"_The point is that you need to be able to protect yourself, and those you love. You're not going to be able to run forever, son." Owen says and crouches down to the disgruntled teenager's height. "Just trust yourself. Close your eyes." Aster rolls said orbs and Owen gives him the look that told him to listen. The younger Pooka immediately listens and his eyelids lower obediently. "Good. Now, feel the boomerangs' energy. They are a part of you now." Aster tries to do as his father says and reaches out with his sub-conscious, feeling a slight pulse. "Do you feel it?" He nods, and jumps when he feels Owen place the weapons into his paws. "I want you to focus on a target. It doesn't need to be anything real, just a direction you want them to go… do you have it?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Good. Open your eyes, and throw them. Don't hesitate, and don't try to aim."_

"_Wait, don't aim?"_

"_No. Your body and mind are connected. Know where you want the boomerangs to go, and throw them." Aster's brow furrows in concentration, and then he takes a deep breath and throws his arm out with as much strength as he has, and then his eyes pop open at an agonized sound of pain. He gasps as he sees Owen lying on the ground holding his side, and hops over babbling an apology._

"_I'm so sorry! I didn't-"_

"_It's okay." Owen wheezes, and manages to open his clenched shut eyes to smile grimly at his son. "See? You can do it. Just next time maybe aim away from me." Aster feels a laugh bubble up from within him, and can't help but feel triumphant. "You want to try it again?" Aster nods and immediately picks up his weapons before standing and, without a second thought, pulls his arm over his head before letting it propel forward, the boomerang slicing through the air in a strong arc. He grins at his father, and Owen looks down on him with pride before nodding for him to continue._

"He taught me everything I know. He was like my hero." Aster says quietly. "He and my mother loved each other so much." He remembers his mother's bright green eyes, the same ones she had bestowed onto him. "She would sing me to sleep sometimes. It was so soothing."

"Do you think they would have approved of me?" He turns to her with a smirk, and then sees that she is not just curious, but truly wishes she could have pleased his parents. "I wish I could have met them."

"My father would have been happy that I met a woman who can keep me in line." He laughs, and Fever grins. "My mother no doubt would have loved you, too. You're strong like her. And she would have been so happy to hear about the children." He strokes her stomach. "She was one of the women who was always involved with the midwives, giving advice to the other mothers and often watching the children of the village."

"She sounds great." Fever says, imagining having such a loving woman embrace her as she had her son. She desperately missed her own mother sometimes, and now she was missing her more than ever. She was grateful to Mother Nature for stepping in to help her. Otherwise she would have been lost in this time of her life.

"Would your mother have approved of me?"

"Absolutely not." Aster bursts into laughter and then tries to contain himself in order to glare at her. She just laughs also, imagining her mother's reaction if she ever brought Aster home. "First of all, she didn't approve of me dating at all. She scared off all of my female friends who had suitors in fear that I would be corrupted and grow to admire the male sex. So the fact that you had been able to snatch me up would infuriate her. Secondly, you're Spring. She hated flowers." Now his laughing has reached its peak, and she slaps at his chest to get him to stop. "Stop laughing at me."

"I'm not. I'm laughing at the thought of you being stopped from doing anything." He manages to gasp, and she pouts.

"You have to remember that I was born during a time when women were supposed to be silent and obey their parents in everything. I wasn't able to do anything at all. That's probably why I ended up so rebellious." She hums in thought as she considers it, and then shrugs. "And then there's the fact that she was just a downright prude. The way you look at me would cause her to have a stroke if she ever noticed."

"What do you mean?" He asks, and she rolls her eyes.

"Do you remember 'day three?'"

"Of course." He groans, thinking of her tied town and writhing, her muffled screams, and the warmth of her skin. He leans forward to kiss her at the intense memory, but she places her fingers over his lips to stop him, smirking.

"_That _look right there. You should really learn to control that."

"Why should I?"

"Because if you _had _met my mother, and you looked at me like that, then she would have had you roasted on a platter in the middle of the dinner table." He swallows roughly at the not-so-sensual visual, and then she laughs again and gives him a peck on the lips to appease him. "But I wouldn't care if she didn't approve. You're mine and that's all that matters."

"Hmph. I still hope you'd have a plan to keep me out of the oven."

"I'm sure I'd come up with something." Fever laughs, and then shifts to lie down on the bed as she closes her eyes. "It's so strange."

"What?"

"How much my life has changed."

"For the better?"

"Definitely." She says, and pulls him down with her, snuggling into his side. Aster closes his eyes also and relaxes, feeling peace come over him. His life had changed drastically as well, but like his new love, it was definitely for the better. Just as he begins to drift off, he hears Fever begin to hum, the notes rolling over him and making him feel completely safe enough to fall asleep in her arms. She sings until his breathing is deep and even, and then she relaxes even more against him and falls asleep as well.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Awwww, I loved writing this one. Coming up next, Faster's own dry spell is ended, Aster sees more of Cyprus, and a flashback of some of the trouble Aster and his friends got into when they were little. Review please!


	9. expectations

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Welcome **Georgia Claw** and ** MaybellineDSpring, **and thanks for your reviews! Enjoy!

Chapter 9:

The next morning when Fever begins to show her home to Aster, he finds himself as impressed as she was when she first saw the Warren. She starts with the layout of the palace, showing him how to get from the bathing areas to her bedroom, Val's room, the library, and the other numerous rooms and hallways that he was certain he could easily get lost in. She stops in the armory to check on her weapons but, of course they are still not ready. She sighs and makes to leave when she notices Aster stopping and watching the cherubs.

"They're so little." He admires the baby-like creatures and they glance at him curiously. "They really make the weapons?"

"Yep. And they do a great job."

"Maybe they can make some boomerangs for the boys." He smirks as she turns around with a confused expression.

"What?"

"Boomerangs. For the boys." His smirk widens as she stares at him. "They'll have to learn how to defend themselves, after all."

"Mhmm. And what makes you think they won't be swordsmen or archers? What makes you think they're even boys at all? They could be all girls."

"True. Although with how tired they make you I wouldn't be so sure." He smiles at the thought of three rambunctious boys, and can practically see Fever cringe at the idea of having to control so many mini-Aster's. "Would you let the girls have weapons?"

"Of course." Fever scoffs, and Aster grins as he sees the fire and spirit in her eyes that he loves. "We're not going to raise some helpless little damsels. Whether they're boys or girls, they will learn how to protect each other. But they will choose their own weapons when the time comes. We are not going to have toddlers running around with knives." She raises an eyebrow as if to challenge him, and he just chuckles and wraps an arm around her waist to pull her close.

"I love you." He says, and she smiles slightly as he leans down to kiss her. She gets lost in the feeling of his lips moving over hers, and then is distracted by a flurry of chirping and squeaking sounds. One of her eyes open to see the cherubs staring at them and whispering to each other, and she uncomfortably pushes away from Aster despite his attempts to pull her back. She clears her throat and he finally notices why she has stopped, and waves them away, watching them turn immediately and get back to making arrows. "Nosy little buggers aren't they?"

"Well you're the first outsider to come here. They're just curious." Aster grunts in annoyance at them having ruined the moment and grabs Fever's hand to lead her out of the armory, making her laugh. "Where's your room again?"

"Ha ha. No." Fever smirks, and walks ahead of him, leaving him no choice but to follow. "I'm getting hungry. How about we pack a picnic and I'll show you the outside?" Aster grumbles under his breath but she just rolls her eyes and continues onto the kitchens. "Seriously, it's already been four months since last time. You can last a little bit longer."

"Maybe _you _can. Plenty of people have sex when the woman is pregnant, even Pooka. It's no big deal."

"It _is _a big deal when said woman is sore all over and carrying triplets. I don't need you pounding me into premature labor."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Baby doll, I love you. But this dry spell is killing me." Aster groans.

"Hmm. You look pretty alive to me." She pokes him in the forehead and opens the door to the kitchen, letting to swing hard behind her and knock into him. When he pushes open the door with an annoyed curse she carefully bends over into the bottom cupboards to get a basket and sets it open on the counter. Aster leans his elbows on the counter and watches her move around the room, gathering different snacks and putting them in the basket. "I don't know why it's taken this long for us to have a picnic anyway. I always loved them when I was mortal."

"How about if we-"

"You're been using your hand for the last four hundred years. What's happened to make it so inefficient now?" She asks, plopping a loaf of bread on top of the other treats.

"I know what I'm missing now." He says, and his eyes glaze over slightly as she looks up at him. Fever nearly melts but convinces herself to stay strong, and so she just smirks at him and closes the basket before walking past him back out of the kitchen, hearing him sigh behind her. They continue to walk down the hallway until they get to the main doors of the palace, and Fever stops and turns around to face him. He stops abruptly and looks down at her.

"You really don't think you can handle two and a half more months?"

"No." He begins to pout, and she knows that it is just to get her to feel sorry for him, so she frowns comically, poking out her lower lip. "Careful, baby doll." She laughs and glances over his shoulder. The hallway is completely empty and there was no reason for any of the cherubs to come looking for them. There was no way she was going to let him just have at it, but…

"Poor Thumper…" She mumbles, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek. He glares at her and she just smirks, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "Does the wittle bunny wunny have a wittle bitty probwem?" His eyes narrow further at her amusement and his ears move flat against his skull in irritation at her baby talk.

"Don't you-" He cuts off with a loud gasp when her other hand suddenly palms his sheath and intense heat rushes up his spine. He knows that it is her doing, and she continues to press her warmth into his most intimate area, feeling his cock harden and make itself known against her hand. "Ah!"

Fever watches his claws dig into the wall and he actually tries to move away from her, his hips bucking against the intense pleasure. She moves her hand up and down and twists her wrist at his head, using her other hand on his chest to press him into the wall.

"Shhh." She coos, increasing the power and hearing an almost high pitched keening coming from his mouth. His eyes clench shut and he groans, his head moving backwards to thump against the wall. "Careful, Aster." She chuckles and he just barely opens his eyes to leer at her, his gaze lingering on her lips when her tongue darts out to wet them. She tightens her grip and increases speed, ignoring his attempts to escape as the pleasure becomes too much and makes him shudder uncontrollably.

"Ohh, fuck!" His back arches and he cries out as white lights flash behind his eyes, Fever having no mercy on his over-sensitive flesh. _He wanted a quickie. He can have it my way, _she thinks with a smirk. She kisses his jaw, and that along with her warmth and desire makes his entire body jerk, his cum streaming onto her hand. She gives him one last spike of heat, and he chants her name like a prayer until she lets go of him, his entire body slumping down the wall until he sits on the floor. She smirks and inspects her messy hand as Aster catches his breath, still shivering. "Crikey…"

"Do you think that will tide you over for a while?" She asks sweetly. He just stares up at her, dazed, and she laughs. "You're welcome. Now, I'm going to go wash my hands. I'll be back soon and then we can eat lunch." She kisses him on his nose, watching amusedly as it twitches in response, and she leaves him sitting there in the hallway, feeling very victorious.

Aster pants as he watches Fever walk away from him, and can't decide whether he is upset or not. He had wanted them to have some alone time, but he had wanted to please her as well. He was not going to complain one bit though, because what she had just done for him was definitely more than he had hoped for. He stands shakily, and then laughs at how she had managed to gain the advantage so easily.

xoXox

The couple walks with their hands intertwined as Fever points out the gold and crimson pillars that stand outside of the palace, the cobblestone paths, and the fluffy cream clouds that seem to settle above their heads. She could tell that their little interlude had helped him release some tension, and now she could finally relax and enjoy being back home without him constantly trying to start something with her, no matter how much she enjoyed it.

"This is amazing." He mutters, moving his paw through the misty formations and touching the glinting marble. "You've stayed here your entire life?"

"Mostly, yeah." She moves away from him to pluck a fruit that resembled a peach from a nearby tree, and she nibbles on it as they continue to walk on the cobblestone. "I thought it was a trick when Val first brought me here."

"I can see why." Aster's eyes glance over their surroundings, and then he sees flowers and is instantly drawn to them. "What's over there?"

"The courtyard and the gardens. Would you like to see them?" He nods and smiles as they approach the brightly colored flowers. Many were flowers that were found on Earth, but some were unfamiliar. "This is one of my favorite places to relax." She shows him the bubbling water in the middle of the courtyard, the pond full of water lilies.

"It _is _beautiful." She nods in agreement. While Aster continues to admire the flowers, she moves to a grassy area and sits down, her hand on her stomach as she settles. "Whew."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." She replies immediately, opening the picnic basket to remove the snacks. "I wonder how much bigger they're going to get. It's got to be crowded in there." Aster chuckles and sits down next to her, observing her figure.

"Have you seen Mother Nature since last time?"

"No. I don't think it's necessary. So far other than the fatigue there have been no problems." Fever says before tearing off a chunk of bread from the loaf and spreading soft cheese over it.

"You don't want to know the genders?"

"I want it to be a surprise." She chews her bite as Aster thinks her words over. "And it doesn't really matter to me what gender they are. I'm just happy to have them."

"Me too. But aren't you curious?" He asks, catching the carrot she tosses at him with a smirk.

"You really want boys, don't you?"

"Kind of." She raises an eyebrow and he shrugs bashfully. "Alright, I do. At least one."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you love to have little mini-me's hopping around?"

"I couldn't imagine anything worse." She jokes, and he gives her a mock frown. "Honestly, I just love the idea of a girl. I can dress her up in frilly dresses and teach her how to take someone down at the same time. I just feel like I could bond with a daughter the way my mother and I really never did."

"You really don't want boys?"

"I wouldn't mind, but I would have no idea what to do with them. I mean, what were you like when you were young, aside from stalking poor midwives?" She laughs and he sighs, wishing he hadn't told her that story.

"I was fine." She scoffs in disbelief, and he shakes his head. "I really wasn't that bad. Not on my own. When my friends and I got together we were pretty annoying, I imagine. There was that time that we had a carrot eating contest. We were only like seven years old."

"No." Fever laughs, imagining the outcome before he even says it.

"I lost. Well, technically we all did. We couldn't hold them down and were sick for the rest of the night."

"Why in the world would you do that?"

"I don't know, we were young. Oh! And then there was the time when we learned how to open tunnels. We ended up taking down another group of kits, and some adults too." This time Fever doesn't laugh. She just stares at him in horror.

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"_Just do it!"_

"_Won't we get in trouble?" Oliver asks, glancing around for any witnesses who could tell their parents._

"_It doesn't matter. Do it!" Will shouts excitedly, practically jumping up and down._

"_Why don't _you _do it?" Aster asks, not wanting to get all of the blame, and Will rolls his eyes._

"_Because you're better at it!"_

"_I can do it too!" Liam cuts in with a frown. He was the youngest out of them by a few months, and he always felt as if he was treated like a baby, unable to do as much as them._

"_Good. You do it." Aster commands, and Liam takes advantage of the opportunity, thumping his foot on the ground. However, nothing happens, and he blushes underneath his fur and tries again._

"_Shoot! Come on!" He stomps with both feet, and then the other two boys begin to laugh at him, making his eyes water._

"_Shut up! Why don't you try it?" Aster comes to his defense and glares at them. They glare back and grumble under their breaths, and Aster turns back to Liam, who has kept his humiliated tears at bay. "Here, watch me, okay?" He thumps the ground, and a small hole the size of his childish frame opens for a few moments before closing. "See? Just focus." Liam nods and obeys, and soon he succeeds, grinning._

"_I did it! See? I _can_ do it!" He sticks his tongue out at Will and Oliver, who are just excited that they can try a new prank._

"_That is so cool! Open one up underneath them!" Oliver points to another group of young Pooka playing further away, and Liam bites his lip in concentration, but only succeeds in moving his tunnel out a few yards. "Come on!"_

"_I'm trying!" Aster watches him struggle and when he is sure that no one is paying him any attention, taps the ground near him, and focuses on the other children. They instantly fall into a hole and the other three break into gleeful laughter, hearing the kids try to make their ways out and shout in confusion. _

"_Do it again!"_

"_Yeah, again!"_

_The four boys continue to play with their newfound ability, opening tunnels and racing underground for hours. It is only until Aster realizes that they have traveled further than they expected and are back in the middle of the village that he knows they should be more careful. But the others are already ahead of him in the tunnel, and his warnings fall upon deaf ears._

"_Wait, we're too close to the-"_

_ He is cut off by the sound of many outraged voices, and then multiple bodies fall into the tunnels that they have created, but instead of the familiar ones of the other Pooka children, they are angry adults who are now looking at them all with disappointment and threats of consequences._

_ "Get out!" He yells to his friends, and they all work to scramble out of the tunnel and scatter before they are caught. Their attempts are futile though, because Aster is yanked up by the scruff of his neck and left dangling by an angry female Pooka who he identifies as Will's mother. Aster's father has Oliver, and Liam and Will are held by the ears by Liam's scowling mother._

_ "Just what is going on here?" Owen demands, shaking his head._

"_Busted!" One of the other children laughs, and Aster works to come up with an explanation, staring at his friends for help._

"_We were just playing." Will mumbles, cowering. Another adult closes the tunnels they have opened to keep anyone else from falling in, and Aster instantly knows that they are in more trouble than they expected._

"_Well your _playing _could have hurt someone!" Will's mother nearly shouts, and she sets Aster down on the ground but keeps a hold on him so he can't run away. "Did you ever consider that someone could fall in and break something? There are other children smaller than you that could have been hurt!"_

"_We're sorry." Liam cries out, and the other three mumble agreements, but Owen shakes his head._

"_Whose idea was it?" Silence reigns and the boys avoid eye contact, not wanting to snitch on anyone. Truthfully it wasn't any specific one's idea. They were just talking about what to do for entertainment and the idea sounded good to all at the time. "Well?" Aster flinches as he hears his father's tone change, becoming more stern which usually meant that if he didn't get an answer soon, then they would be in even more trouble. He glances up at his friends, and they are stare at him fearfully. No doubt they thought he would do his best to keep his father from getting mad at him, and they thought he would throw them under the bus to do so. The accusations in their eyes made him feel horrible. They had been friends for so long that he expected they would have more faith in him. _

_Not wanting to lose their trust or their friendship, he clears his throat, bringing his father's attention to him, and Will's mother pushes him forward to face the music._

"_Dad? I did it. It was my idea." He says quietly, and can practically feel his friends release sighs of relief. "I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone would get hurt. I didn't realize we were so close to the village. We started playing out in the meadows. We ran further than we thought." Owen watches him during the entire explanation, his expression blank, and then he gestures for the other boys to go. They do so immediately, running to their parents to face their own punishments, and Owen just nods for Aster to follow him back to the burrow._

"_Come on." They are still silent until Aster can't take it anymore._

"_I really _am _sorry dad." He says. "Did someone really get hurt?"_

"_No, everyone is fine. But you boys need to understand that you have to be careful. We Pooka hold a lot of power, and we need to learn how to control it."_

"_Yes, sir." Aster mumbles, and then he almost walks into his father's back when he stops suddenly. He glances up fearfully at his face and is shocked when Owen suddenly smiles down at him._

"_That was very nice of you, Aster. You are a very loyal friend." His eyes widen and Owen leans down to pat him on the back. "I know it wasn't your idea. You aren't one to go around showing off with no regards to safety. It was Will's idea, wasn't it?" Aster doesn't have to answer, because his father is shaking his head with a grin. "I knew it. That kid is always causing trouble. I appreciate that you want to be loyal to them, but be careful. Alright?" Aster nods and manages a smile, feeling a true bond with his father at that moment as they continue home. He wasn't so sure what his mother's response would be to his most recent mischief, but the pride he was feeling at the moment cancelled all other worries he could have had._

Fever laughs when he finishes his story, shaking her head in amusement.

"And you wonder why I want a little girl!" She lifts her hand to wipe a tear from her eye and continues to laugh. "I can only imagine the reactions of those poor Pooka. They were just minding their own business, and then here comes little Aster creating craters right underneath them!" She nearly falls over from laughing so hard and Aster glares at her, feeling like the bad end of a joke.

"Alright, are ya done?" He deadpans, and she just laughs harder, imagining that look on a much smaller, cuddlier version of him. "Okay, ha ha. It's not that funny. My mother nearly ripped my ear off when I got home. She didn't appreciate my loyalty half as much as my father!"

"Well you shouldn't have given into peer pressure!" Fever finally gains control of her giggles and wags her finger at him as if he were still a child. "Our kids will have good heads on their shoulders, that's for sure."

"Are you saying I didn't have a good head?"

"I'm saying that you cared too much about your ego to let them make fun of you. Although, it was very sweet how you stood up for Liam and how you took the fall for all of them. That was very loyal, indeed."

"Thank you, baby doll." He says with a smile, and finishes off the carrots she had packed. He looks around the gardens again and sighs, wondering why it had taken him so long to see her home. At that thought he glances at her curiously, gaining her attention. "Hey, where will the children live anyway?"

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"Well you have been staying in the Warren with me lately, but it's clear that Cyprus means a lot to you as well. Where will the children stay?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Aster shakes his head to disagree, and she smirks. "We'll just have to have two set ups. There's no way they will only see one of their homes. And I would miss you too much to stay here. I love it, but I miss the Warren too sometimes."

"So we'll have two homes?"

"It's worked well so far." Fever points out, and Aster admits to himself that she has a good point. While they were very much in love, neither of them were quite willing to leave their homes. It just wasn't an option anyway. Aster needed the Warren in order to create Easter, and Cyprus was very much a part of Fever. They would just have to continue going on as they had, visiting each every now and then.

xoXox

It is only when the sun begins to set that they realize how long they had been outside talking and admiring the courtyards. Aster packs the basket back up and helps Fever rise before they head back to the palace. Fever takes a quick shower and changes into comfortable sleeping attire and Aster removes his arm guards and wrappings before climbing into bed with her. Before they fall asleep though, Fever turns around to face him with a thoughtful expression.

"What about names?"

"Hm?"

"Names. For the babies."

"Can't we just choose when they pop out?"

"Ugh!" Fever swats at his shoulder in disbelief and glares at him, making him laugh.

"I'm just kidding, baby doll."

"You'd better be. If one of them is a girl, I want to name her Darcy." She mumbles. Aster repeats it and finds that he likes the name, imagining a little girl an exact replica of Fever running around beating on the boys for their latest prank. Somehow it fits, and he grins to himself as he imagines what the future holds for them. He opens his mouth to speak again, but Fever's eyes are closed and she is already asleep, clearly tired from being out and about all day long. He smiles and brushes her hair away from her face, landing a kiss on her forehead lovingly. His paw moves to her stomach and right on cue, he feels a kick.

"Yeah, I'm here." He whispers to whoever has made themselves known. They kick again, and he smiles. "You want to know a secret?" He glances up at Fever's still face and, seeing that she isn't going to wake any time soon, he moves further down to whisper conspiratorially to them. "I don't know if you are boys or girls, but I love you so much, that I'm just excited to meet all of you. You see, I never ever believed that I would have the chance to be a father. So you all are the most precious gift I could have ever received. So just do us a favor, okay? Don't make it too hard on us. We're new at this parent thing, so just give us a chance to learn what the hell we're doing, and I promise we'll do our best to make sure you all are happy and safe and loved. That's a promise." He rests his cheek on her cloth covered skin and feels movement beneath his face. It feels so good that he stays there the entire night, and only feels foolish the next morning when he wakes up and Fever is complaining about him drooling all over her.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Did you guys know that October is National Kink Month? Later in this story Fever whines about not getting a holiday, so I might have to take advantage of this hilarious discovery and make a bunch of one-shots to celebrate. Anyway, up next… Fever finally gives birth! Review please!


	10. here we go

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 10:

It is quite a shock when Fever realizes just how long her pregnancy is going to last. Mother Nature hadn't given them any clues to its length, and even though she had nothing but good things to say about it, Fever wasn't completely convinced. She thought she would last nine months as any other human would. So when her water breaks at seven months even, it is only natural that she freaks out.

Fever is admiring the newly sprouting egg plants, feeling the butterflies landing on her shoulders when a sudden deep contraction makes her gasp, and her back bows in surprise. In the same instant a gush of liquid soaks her dress and she feels a cold chill go down her spine in recognition.

"Oh my God." She whispers, doing the math in her head. She should have two months to go. There was no way that this was a good sign. "Oh my God! Aster!" She yells out for him and groans as she begins to feel the discomfort settling in her inner muscles. "No, no, no. Aster!" When she opens her eyes he is there in front of her, arms outstretched and his face a mask of horror.

"What's going on?"

"My water just broke. It can't be time. It's too early!" She cries out. She knows from her mortal friends' pregnancies that she would have many hours of work ahead of her, so she tries to calm herself and not expend too much energy.

"It's okay. It will be okay. Do you hear me?" He moves her chin to make her look him in the eyes, and his determination helps her stay centered, and she nods. "Now, do you feel any pain?"

"Not really. Just contractions."

"Okay." Just as Aster begins to help her stand, Val materializes next to her, immediately seeing what caused her panic. Fever focuses on Aster's voice as he whispers reassurances to her, and Val slips an arm around her waist to steady her, not trusting her shaky legs. "It's going to be okay, baby doll."

"Let's get her to Cyprus. Obviously we've never done this before so I don't know what we'll need, but better safe than sorry, right?" Val tries to add a laugh, but the atmosphere has suddenly become so tense that it doesn't quite come out right. Aster nods in agreement and takes the other man's hand, wrapping his other arm around Fever as well.

Val teleports them into a room that Aster had not seen before, but he assumes it was made recently as it wasn't completely furbished, but it had the same set up and energy of the birthing burrows in his village. It was obvious that Val had done his best to make a room for her where she could give birth as they couldn't take her to a hospital. Before he can think more on it, Fever heaves in his arms and pushes them away just as she vomits.

"Crikey." Aster mutters and puts a paw on her back, attempting to sooth her as her back bows and she continues to gag.

"Oh, God." She gasps and begins to bring a hand to her mouth before cringing. "Please don't do that again without warning me, Val."

"Sorry, sis." He pushes the locks of hair around her face away, trying to ignore the fact that they were now soiled, and he goes to the corner of the room that holds the sink, grabbing a cloth to wash her face and hair. "I'm going to go get Truth. Are you okay staying with her for a few minutes?"

"Yeah." Aster frowns at her paling face and Val hands him a trash can just in case she begins to vomit again. "Thanks. Hurry back."

"I will." With that he vanishes, and Aster grips Fever's hand tightly, taking deep breaths. He was acting as if _he _were the one in labor, but he couldn't help but feel terrified. He had never seen one take place, and the fact that it was Fever who was going through it, and that it was early was even more frightening. While they were the first to have a Pooka-human pregnancy and didn't know much about it, it seemed as if it was accelerated rather than slowed like they had expected. He shakes his head as he realizes that they shouldn't have made any predictions, as it was what caused them to be in this state now.

Fever glances up at him, her color still not having returned, but she somehow smiles at him, and he can't help but return it, raising an eyebrow in question as to what was so funny.

"I didn't even let you pound me into premature labor, and yet here we are." He laughs, the sound not quite sincere, but her humor brings a little more positivity to the situation, and then he shakes his head.

"We don't know that you're premature. You could be right on schedule. It would explain why you got so big so fast."

"True." She continues to smile, tightening her fingers around his, and then Val and Truth materialize in the room, making her jump, and then groan when a contraction hits her. Truth rushes over to her and puts a hand on her forehead, pursing her lips.

"Have you done this before?" Aster asks her, because she is then grabbing Fever's wrist to check her pulse.

"No. But I've seen Mother Nature do it."

"What? When?" Fever's voice is irritated.

"Many times. We're old friends, she and I." The other three gape at her but she just glares at the two males. "What are you looking at? Scoot, both of you!"

"What?"

"If you're such good friends then maybe you should go get her." Val points out, and Truth seems to consider the idea when Fever cries out.

"No. I can do this. She said I could. I was designed for this, remember?" She shuts her eyes as more discomfort wracks through her, and then takes a deep breath and looks back at Truth. "I want to do this without her."

"No! We should-"

"Are you sure?" Truth cuts Aster off, who turns to Val begging for reinforcement, but he just shrugs in response, looking torn. Fever nods firmly and Truth smiles.

"Okay. But I'm going to need another set of hands since there's three of them. Val, go get Tooth and bring her here. Aster, go to Fever's bedroom and try to calm yourself."

"I am calm!"

"I'll be right back."

"I can't believe this." Fever whispers, and Truth grabs her a glass and fills it with cold water.

"Believe it, missy. You're going to be a mother in the next several hours." She hands her best friend the drink and then turns back to a determined Aster with her hands on her hips. "I told you to scoot. Come on. Out!"

"Why?"

"Because you're all riled up and it won't do anything to help the situation. Go!" She points to the door and Aster growls and steps closer, trying to intimidate her. It doesn't work though, and Truth just raises an eyebrow at his attempt. "Do you really want to start this? I can be _very _persuasive." Her white feathered wings ruffle behind her, and her eyes burn with fire.

"Stop it, you guys. Aster, come here." Aster gives Truth a smug look before moving next to the bed Fever is lying on, but she shakes her head. "She's right. I'm going to be okay. Just go to my room."

"I don't want to. I want to stay here with you." She takes his paw in hers and raises it to her lips, making him soften.

"I know you do. But you can't really do anything, Thumper." She smiles and he frowns. "If you really can't stand to sit around, then go to the gardens and make me some pretty flowers to bring me later, okay?" He continues to frown at her, and so she sits up as best she can and wraps her arms around him, holding him close. "We're going to be fine. I'll call you back in when I'm holding three little baby Pooka." She lets go and pushes him in the direction of the door, and with one last lingering glance he exits the room, the sound of the door shutting behind him making dread well up within him.

In minutes, Val is back and pacing in the hallway. Aster can't stand to watch him, so he does what Fever told him to and goes to the gardens where he feels the most possible amount of peace, making the flowers there bloom and brighten. He breathes in the scent of pollen and earth, and allows it to calm him, picturing the two of them and their three children, smiling and happy. As long as he focused on that, it was easy to believe that it would come true.

xoXox

Fever tries to take deep breaths, but the pressure in her abdomen and the cramping in her muscles from staying tense for so long was beginning to wear her out. Tooth dabs at her face and neck with a damp cloth, watching her for any sign that she was ready to start pushing. They had been waiting for over six hours now, and all that had occurred was Fever crying from the pain and letting out a few screams that had Aster running up to the palace from the gardens.

He had thrown the door open and rushed in, taking in the sight of Fever cringing on the bed, and had immediately made a nuisance of himself. Fortunately his soul mate had taken control of the situation and gripped his ear, harshly pulling him down to her level and growling at him to get out. He had obeyed and had been pacing in the hallway with Val for the next few hours.

"Oooh." Fever groans and squeezes the poor fairy's hand, making her flinch. When the contraction finishes, she allows her eyes to drift shut for a few minutes, trying to count in her head to relax.

"It shouldn't take much longer, honey. Let me check you." Truth says, and lifts Fever's skirt to see how dilated she is. "Okay, I think we're at about ten. Are you sure you don't want me to get Mother?"

"I'm sure. Just tell me what to do." Truth nods and sighs, gently stroking her knee in reassurance.

"Okay. On the next contraction, I want you to push."

xoXox

Aster flinches and has to focus on keeping his feet glued to the floor as another scream echoes through the palace, even more agonizing than the last.

"She's in pain." He says, and Val laughs humorlessly.

"She's popping out three bunnies. Of course she's in pain!" Aster glares at him and wrings his hands together, closing his eyes and trying to block out the distressing sounds.

"I can't listen to this, mate." He whispers, hanging his head in his hands. "How much longer?"

"I don't know." Val says, starting to sound irritated. Aster takes the hint and bites his tongue to keep quiet, nearly pulling on his ears as the sounds continue. He didn't know how much longer he could take of this. Hearing Fever in so much pain after refusing to have Mother Nature come in to help was making him feel useless. He wanted so badly to help in any way that he could. Maybe he could hold her hand. Would that take away some of the pain? He didn't really care if it didn't do anything. He just wanted to be in that room with her.

Aster takes another deep breath and tries to send positive energy her way, willing the pain to end and for life to take its place. After a few more minutes, Fever's voice cuts off abruptly, and he stands, staring at the door.

"What…" Had something happened? Had she fainted? Or worse? He gasps and runs toward the door, ready to break it down if he had to, but then the sweetest sound makes him stop; the tiny, weak cry of a baby. His breath leaves him and his shoulder slump with relief. There was life in that room, he could now feel and hear it. _We have a baby._ He grins and turns to Val, who is also smiling now, and he just nods at him to move away from the door.

"The first one is always the hardest. She still has some work ahead of her though, so just breathe and try to relax." He places a hand on Aster's shoulder and the Pooka smiles at the brotherly gesture. It is another twenty minutes of screaming and crying, but this time Aster is assured that Fever is strong enough to handle it. She could do this. _They _could do this. It seems like forever until finally Tooth opens the door and waves them in with a smile.

xoXox

Aster's breath catches at the sight of Fever sitting up in bed with a bundle in her arms. She is smiling down at the blanket covered form, a light sheen of sweat on her skin and her hair sticking every which way. But she is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. At that moment she looks up at him and he trips over his own feet trying to get to her quickly. She laughs breathily and uses her free hand to pull the edge of the blanket away from their baby's face, and Aster falls in love all over again.

The Pooka's fur is a golden blonde color, its mouth parted as it breathes softly, a little paw curled up by its face.

"Our little boy." Fever whispers, brushing her finger over his downy cheek.

"A boy?" Aster grins, and Fever laughs.

"Well, one of them." Truth makes her presence known, carrying two other blanketed bundles, and smiles as she brings them over to the bed. "I've already named this little guy Cooper. You have the honor of naming the second boy." Aster takes the second bundle from Truth, his smile widening at the sight of his all-gray fur. "He looks like you."

"He does." He laughs and the boy's eyes open to reveal dark brown doe orbs like his mother's. "But he has your eyes." She smiles and reaches out for the third baby, who is mostly blonde but with gray paws and a large gray spot over their left eye. "And the last one?"

"My little Darcy." Fever grins and gives the little girl a kiss on the forehead, making her squirm and look up at her with bright green eyes.

"Two boys and a girl, eh?" He chuckles, watching the three Pooka with adoring eyes. "Darcy, Cooper, and Logan."

"Logan." Fever repeats the name for the second boy and smiles, leaning into Aster's side. They sit there in silence, watching their children get their first looks at the outside world. "All three are completely healthy and at full term. Mother Nature was right." Aster feels a welling up of emotion within him at seeing them all. Now it really hit him that this was all real, and while he was terrified, the joy by far outweighed his fears.

Once Fever has a chance to wash up and move to her bedroom with the babies, the others are allowed to visit. North reacts in his usual boisterous way, slapping Aster across the back so hard that he nearly falls over, and Fever has to calm the children down when his loud voice makes them begin to cry. Jack has more self-control, asking about names and genders. Sandy simply smiles and watches the new family, but he also can't resist giving sweet dreams to the new Pooka as they sleep. Val checks Fever over, shoving more fruit in her face when she tries to assure him that she's fine, and eventually she orders him to leave and find her another blanket. After congratulations are given and Fever begins to feel the exhaustion of her long labor, Val sets to returning everyone back to Earth so they can get back to their jobs.

Aster gathers food for him and Fever and returns to the bedroom quickly, unable to keep his chuckles to himself as he watches her attempt to juggle two of them long enough to feed them. She glares at him and shifts one of her arms, trying to help Logan find her nipple.

"Do you think you can do better?" She says sarcastically, and Aster laughs.

"I don't exactly have the equipment for it." He says, and moves closer to the bed to sit with her.

"Darcy found it well enough, but I'm starting to think that your little clone is just trouble." Logan continues to move his head, seeming either unaware of how to latch on, or just flat out refusing. "Damn it." Aster full out laughs and then simply takes Logan away, seeing that he wasn't going to cooperate yet.

"He's just not hungry yet, are ya?" He mumbles to him, and Logan stares at him, his little paws curling. "It's still so strange."

"You're telling me." Fever scoops up Cooper and settles him in instead, and like his sister, he finds his stride easily. "I'm still coming to terms that I created them. It seems like just yesterday I was taking the tests, and now… here they are." She smiles down at the two at her breasts. "I never did thank you, did I?"

"For what?" Aster looks up from Logan at her tone.

"For everything. For loving me, for not only accepting my pregnancy well but also helping me through it. For just being there. And for these beautiful children. Thank you." She smiles at him and he returns it whole heartedly, leaning toward her.

"You make it easy." He says, and kisses her. Just as he puts more pressure against her lips, Logan squirms in his arms and makes a startling sound, and he pulls back to inspect him. "What, mate?" Logan simply continues to stare at him, and Fever laughs, drawing his attention.

"It looks like he doesn't like to be ignored. Just like you."

"This had better not become a habit of yours." Aster says to Logan, referring to his seemingly intentional interruption.

"He didn't mean it. And besides, you're not getting any for at least a few weeks." Aster groans and continues to hold Logan as Fever finishes feeding the other two, sighing. "Jeez, I'm so tired."

"I'll stay up and watch them." She nods and begins to hand Darcy to him.

"Thanks. And make sure you check their diapers."

"Diapers?" Aster's eyes widen and he lifts the blankets wrapped around them to check. Indeed, there are puffy white diapers on their rear ends. "Why the hell are they wearing diapers?"

"Because they shi-poop." Fever catches herself before she curses, and Aster smirks at her. She didn't expect to be able to keep her language in check all of the time, as she wasn't used to it, but she didn't need their children learning how to curse only hours after being born. "It has to go somewhere."

"Hm." Aster mumbles to himself, wrapping Darcy back up and lying her in the crib next to her brother. "We never used them in the village."

"You mean you just let them go wherever they pleased?" Her nose wrinkles in disgust and Aster shrugs. "Yeah, unless you agree to clean up all messes, that it not going to happen here in Cyprus. Maybe back in the Warren."

"Have you forgotten that they're Pooka? Besides, the children usually became toilet trained fairy early. We didn't have indoor plumbing, but you know what I mean."

"Well Pooka or human, excrement is excrement. And it is _not _going to end up on my furniture." Fever stresses, and Aster just shakes his head in amusement.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they're comfortable."

"Thank you." Fever sighs, and when all three babies are in the crib and dosing off, Aster climbs up into bed with her and strokes her hair until she falls asleep, feeling nothing but happiness for his new family.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I was so excited to get this one up. **Georgia Claw, **you must be psychic! I was definitely going to split the genders, and I figured that only one girl would be great because I can totally see Aster treating her like a little princess. Next up; the hardships of being a new parent, another adorable Aster flashback, and even more fluff! Review please!


	11. bittersweet

**Author's Note:** I'm so excited you guys are loving this. Let the fun begin! Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 11:

Fever groans and rolls over as a soft cry is released from one of the triplets. It starts off quiet, and then there is silence, and she holds her breath.

"Please, please, don't…" She whispers, and the baby gasps before letting out a sorrowful wail. "No." Aster shifts next to her on the bed, and his eyes slowly open to stare at the wall of the burrow. They had arrived back home with help from one of North's snow globes days before, and had still been on cloud nine after they had been birthed successfully and without difficulty. They had no idea how hard those first few days would be.

"Fever…"

"I got them last time." Aster sighs and sits up to glance over at the cribs that held the three babies, another of which had begun to cry from the noise of their sibling. The last begins to gasp also, and he rushes to get over to them before they have three screaming Pooka to deal with. Aster picks up Cooper and holds him close immediately, trying to ignore the pain it causes his sensitive ears.

"Cooper, come on." He begs him, but only gets another cry in response.

"Maybe they're hungry." Fever mumbles, and sits up in bed to take the blonde Pooka from him. She really couldn't bear to see him struggle by himself, which was why both of them were incredibly exhausted. Neither could allow the other to deal with the hard parts of being a parent alone. Fever moves the strap of her tank top down her shoulder and settles Cooper by her breast, sighing with relief when he latches onto her nipple easily. She takes Darcy as well, resting her in her other arm, but Aster has to walk around with Logan a bit in an attempt to calm him.

"Don't fall asleep." He warns Fever, and she instantly opens her eyes, sitting up taller and trying to stay awake. "I know you're tired, baby doll. I'm sorry." She shrugs and smiles at him as best she can.

"Not your fault. I just…" She is cut off by a yawn, and he moves closer to sit next to her when Logan's cries finally settle down.

"I know. Don't worry, we'll get the hang of it."

"Yeah."

During the first night, they truly felt like parents, because they realized just how difficult it is and why there were no true rule books. To say that every child was different was an understatement, especially when it was applied to their own. All three seemed to be on different schedules for feeding and sleeping, guaranteeing that at least one of their parents was up all of the time. It was just a miracle now that they were all up and two were ready to eat, because Fever and Aster could look forward to when they all slept at the same time, and therefore could get some sleep of their own.

One of the best parts of them both being new parents though, was learning together. It had brought them closer, and they couldn't annoy each other with assumptions of the "right" way to do things, because they honestly had no clue. There had been fumbles, laughs, and a little bit of crying that Aster tried to blame on Fever.

The next day they find those laughs again when the time comes to change the diapers.

"No. Wrap that side there."

"What? I thought you started from here?"

"Um…" Fever stares helplessly at Aster as he tries to figure out once again how to work the absorbent fabric. Cooper stares up at them, his little paw making its way to his mouth as he gurgles in what seems to be amusement.

"Why can't we just let them go without?"

"I told you, I am not going to have them leaving droppings all over. That's disgusting." Aster sighs at her inflexibility and tries to wrap the diaper one more time, but Cooper kicks out his leg.

"Ack! Come on, mate. Work with me here!" The baby Pooka's mouth curls almost in a smile and then Aster succeeds in getting it on completely. "Good. That wasn't so bad, huh?"

"Great. Now how about the other two?"

"My nose has completely lost its sense of smell, baby doll. Can't I get a break?"

"You can have a break when you remember how to do them without stumbling through the steps."

"You don't know how to do them either!"

"I'm working on it! Anyway, I need to make something to eat. I'm starving." She ditches him immediately and he rolls his eyes, setting Cooper down and reaching for Darcy.

"Your mother can be such a pain in the-"

"Aster!" He flinches and could swear that his daughter laughs at his misfortune. It was going to be another long night.

xoXox

The next week is easier. They get the triplets onto a schedule that allows them some more sleep, and they conquer the changing of diapers. They are no longer overcome by exhaustion and are instead able to enjoy the children outside of the burrow without fear of falling asleep on the way back to their beds. The best part of their day is when they wake up and immediately go to the kids, watching them open their eyes to once again begin their day.

"How's my pretty girl?" Fever coos, stroking Darcy's cheek with her index finger. Bright green eyes follow her hand's movements curiously, and the Pooka raises a paw to grab at Fever's hand.

"She has good coordination already." Aster takes notice and Fever grins when Darcy finally catches her finger, grasping it tightly.

"And strength."

"I wouldn't expect any less."

"And why is that?"

"Because she's just like her mother." Fever smirks at him and picks Darcy up from her crib, holding her so her chin is level with her shoulder.

"So… you never did tell me what happened to Liam's brother or sister?"

"What?" Fever laughs and shakes her head at his forgetfulness.

"Remember when you told me about your friend Liam whose mother was pregnant?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well?" She raises an eyebrow and sways back and forth, soothing the baby in her arms and glancing over at the other two who are just lying down quietly.

"Well it was a little brother. He was really excited about that."

"I'm sure." She smiles, thinking about how wonderful it would be for a boy to find out that he was going to have a new best friend that he could bond with for his entire life. As an only child in her mortal life, she sometimes envied her friends who had siblings, even though they sometimes complained about having to share absolutely everything with them.

"But it wasn't exactly what he expected."

"_He's always crying, and it's making my parents mad at each other constantly." Liam says with a frown. He and Aster sit away from the adults that are passing around a cooing baby Pooka and laughing. Two of the adults however, are not speaking, and there is clearly tension between them. "It's not fun having him here anymore."_

"_Have they said that they're mad?" Aster asks, his eyes full of sympathy._

"_No. But they don't smile anymore. And they barely talk."_

"_Maybe they're just tired."_

"_They _are _tired. But there's something else." Liam looks down at the grass, his eyebrows knitting together in anger. "He's all cute now. But later he'll be screaming and taking their attention away from me. It's not fun like I thought it would be."_

"_I'm sorry." Aster says, and he means it. He didn't know what it was like to have siblings, but he could tell that it was wearing on his friend. "Maybe it will get better."_

"_I hope so."_

_It didn't get better immediately. It was many months before Liam felt anything positive toward his new brother. His parents had continued to fight, fueled by lack of sleep and the difficulty of dealing with an inconsolable infant and a disappointed and frustrated twelve year old. They hadn't given any indication that they were going to separate, and they tried their best to make sure Liam knew that they still loved him even though some of their attention was elsewhere. It wasn't until the new addition to the family began to grow up and was less fussy that Liam felt better toward him. _

"Poor Liam, having to go through that." Fever mumbles. She couldn't imagine seeing her parents so unnerved by a new baby that their tension was transferred to her and made her miserable. Aster nods in agreement.

"It was hard for him. He was terrified that his parents would stay mad at each other and possibly split up. He wasn't sure where that would leave him."

"Pooka divorce, too?" Fever was surprised. She had thought of it as a purely mortal issue.

"Not exactly. We mate for life." Aster says, and the look in his eyes makes her heart pound. "Once we choose each other, we never take another. But there have been cases where couples have stopped being affectionate toward each other due to different problems."

"Oh." She mumbles, suddenly uncomfortable. She doesn't know what to say after that, and Aster smiles wryly.

"It's not common. But Liam was young, you know. He didn't fully understand their marriage." _Pooka get married? _Fever wonders to herself, but doesn't pose her question aloud. It seemed like such a mortal custom, and she had no idea what a Pooka joining ceremony would be like. Before she gets lost in her thoughts, Aster is speaking again. "But once his brother got older, he warmed up to the idea of being an older sibling."

_The only bad thing about his little brother getting older was that he was constantly asking to hang out with the other boys. He felt left out and didn't want to be with the adults anymore, but was unfortunately still too young to be allowed into the teenagers' fun._

"_Please, can I go?"_

"_No!"_

"_Please?"_

"_Aster, make him go away."_

"_He's _your _brother." Aster argues, but really he just can't bear to see the pain in the younger boy's eyes as they send him away again. Liam sighs and turns around to face Hugh, who is frowning at them, his bottom lip practically quivering._

"_Look, you just can't come, okay? It's not safe for you."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because we're going into the woods, and you don't know how to protect yourself."_

"_But…" Hugh mumbles, trying to come up with an excuse. He finds none, and sighs, kicking at the dirt. "I just want to spend time with you guys."_

"_Where are _your_ friends?" He didn't have many of them, but he had found a couple of boys nearer his age to play with on more than one occasion. Liam and Aster hadn't bothered to learn much about the younger ones, but they assumed that he could at least find some camaraderie with them. Hugh's eyes seem to water though, and he just shakes his head. "What?"_

"_They said I can't play with them anymore either."_

"_What? Why?" Liam's tone changes, and he moves closer to his brother at the telltale sign of tears._

"_They said I'm too weird." Hugh mutters, and his breath catches. "They said I wasn't even born, that I was hatched out of an egg and shouldn't be allowed to stay here." Liam's face is instantly thunderous, and he glances over at Aster, who can sense his temper simmering as well. "And you don't want me around either, so it must be true."_

"_No it's not." Aster says, and Liam hugs his little brother._

"_It's not that I don't want you around. Sometimes we just aren't doing something that is okay for you to do."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because I don't want you hurt. Mom would kill me!" Liam says, managing to get a smile out of him. "You're my little brother Hugh, and I love you. And no one is allowed to make you cry. So who said that about you?"_

_Aster leans forward just enough to catch sight of the younger Pooka playing a game of tag. He nods to Liam, who is hiding behind a tree, and Hugh just barely manages to smother an excited giggle. Liam keeps an eye out for adults so they won't get busted, and then Aster uses his influence over the plant life to bring the flowers at their feet up, making them grow to more than ten times their normal size. The young Pooka begin to gasp and scream, jumping up to evade the plants as their stems and leaves reach for them._

"_Ahh! Mom!"_

"_They're alive! They're alive!"_

_Aster laughs and moves out of his hiding spot to get a better view, raising his hands above his head as the stems grasp the Pooka's ankles, hoisting them upside down in the air. _

"_Help!" The children continue to scream and struggle, but the overgrown flowers are too large and strong, and they just dangle there helplessly, sniffling in fear. Liam grins and comes out of his hiding place as well, unable to sit on the sidelines any longer._

"_So you think it's funny to pick on people, huh?" He asks, and they watch them tearfully, terrified of what the teenagers will do to them._

"_How do _you _like it?" Aster asks, making the flowers twirl around in a circle and resulting in multiple screams._

"_We're sorry! We're sorry!"_

"_Tell him, not us." Liam pushes Hugh forward, who puffs his chest out proudly and smirks at his former friends._

"_We're sorry, Hugh! We didn't mean it!"_

"_You can play with us again!"_

"_Yeah, we promise!"_

"_Hmph." Hugh crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head. "I don't want to play with you anymore. I have my big brother and Aster, who are ten times cooler than any of you!" Liam grins and scoops him up onto his shoulders._

"_Oh, and… don't tell anyone about this, okay?" He smirks._

"_Or it will only get worse." Aster finishes, bringing his hands down. The flowers fling the children to the ground before stopping, leaving them hanging so their whiskers barely brush the grass before being dropped unceremoniously. The little Pooka scramble up quickly and begin to run from the trio, still crying out apologies and promises. Hugh laughs and hugs his brother around the neck, grinning._

"_That was so cool!" He turns to Aster, who raises his paw for a high five. "Thanks."_

"_Any time, mate." _

"It turned out that one of them actually did tell on us." Aster laughs. "Apparently we weren't so good at terrifying them into silence as we thought. We were in so much trouble that we got grounded for a month, but it was worth it to make his brother feel better."

"Aww, you were like the bully police." Fever says with a smile, picturing him smaller but still just as tough, trying to make sure that no one was treated badly. It was a very sweet picture, and she could only imagine him protecting their children with the same vigilance.

"I guess you could say that."

"It's a good thing Hugh had both of you to look out for him. Even though you didn't have siblings, you still kind of acted like an older brother to him. That's really awesome, Aster."

"Thanks." He smiles, feeling a little uncomfortable with the praise. He had felt bad about it later, terrifying the poor kids with the powers he was supposed to use only for good. But at the time he had felt so good about himself, being there for his best friends' little brother.

"Logan and Cooper will be sweet just like you, protecting Darcy like knights on white stallions protecting a little princess. Ack!" Fever's outburst makes him jump, and he turns just in time to see Darcy finish spitting up on her. She sets her down on the bed and instantly rushes to the drawers to get a towel. "It is _not _funny!" She glares at Aster and he tries desperately to hold in his laughter, biting his lip and crossing his arms in an attempt to look serious. "Ugh. This is so gross…" She wipes at her shirt and groans, finally resorting to just taking it off. A snort escapes Aster and she glares at him again. Seeing her angry and topless with Darcy just smiling to herself is enough to make him lose it, and he just breaks down into laughter as she rolls her eyes. "I'm going to take a bath. Will you clean her up, please?"

"Okay." He chokes out as she leaves the burrow. He knows she is heading to the river to wash off, and she takes a new shirt and pair of shorts to change into when she returns. She had made an effort to change her usual wardrobe into something less provocative for when the children got older, something that was not on Aster's good list about parenthood. He sighs and turns to Darcy, who is watching him and waving her legs in the air. "Looks like you're not such a little princess after all, eh?" He laughs again at the irony. Fever always acted as if her daughter had the most manners and never did anything wrong, and here she was, using her mother as a bib.

He hears a gurgle from Logan and moves to pick him up, walking him around the room as his mind drifts back to the remark about marriage. Fever had looked perplexed, which he attributed to her surprise that Pooka were more like mortals than she expected. But then her eyes had looked far away, as if she was lost in thought. He couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. He was being truthful when he said that Pooka mated for life, and he loved her so much that he had considered more than a few times that she was his one and only soul mate, even before they had the children. _I wonder… _

A vision floods him; her, still as beautiful as the day they met, smiling up at him in anticipation, and him saying the words that would bind them forever. Would she repeat them? He hoped so, if he ever gathered the courage to ask her. The idea had popped into his head multiple times, but he always had an excuse to wait. _Not the right time. What if she doesn't want to? What if he? What if she? What if? _He shakes his head harshly and glances down at Logan, who is watching him much too intently for an infant.

"What do you think?" The gray Pooka just continues to stare at him, and Aster sighs. "I don't know, mate. I just don't know."

xoXox

Fever finishes rinsing herself off in the river and squeezes the excess water out of her hair, sighing. She hadn't meant to spend so much time in her bath, but it was so nice to get some fresh air and quiet time that she had nearly fell asleep. _I hope Aster is still okay. _She gets out quickly and dries off, pulling on the shirt and shorts she had taken with her. She jogs back to the burrow, not wanting to leave him alone any longer than she already had. Taking care of triplets with two people was hard enough, but it was nearly impossible with only one while they still needed so much care and attention. She could just imagine if they had gotten hungry in her absence, the noise that would erupt and the stress it would cause him.

However, as she gets closer to their room it is very quiet, and she pushes open the door carefully as not to disturb the babies if they were in the middle of a nap. She glances at the bed and freezes, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping.

"Oh." She whispers and moves closer, a grin growing on her face. "Well what do you know?" She giggles to herself, watching Aster breathe deeply, his expression entirely peaceful as he sleeps. Darcy is curled up on his chest, fast asleep as well, cleaned up from her mishap. Logan and Cooper rest in each of his arms, held close and looking completely content. It is the perfect picture, and she stands there silently as she watches the four of them, feeling her heart swell. She moves close to the bed where Aster is lying and smiles, lowering her head so she can kiss his nose, watching it twitch in his sleep. "I love you." _Forever._

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Soooo? Coming up next is a whole bunch of stuff so I'm not going to mention it all. Instead I'm going to throw away my pride and beg for something that may be ridiculous. I would absolutely love it if this story could get up to 100 reviews by its end. We're almost halfway through the chapters so I'll be more realistic and beg for 60. Please please please, even if it's just one word, I'd love to hear from more of you! And as always, I love hearing from my regular reviewers. You guys are awesome! Also, a little shoutout to those who have favorited not only my stories, but me as an author. You rock!


	12. just a theory

**Author's Note:** You guys are so awesome! Thanks for all the love, reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 12:

Fever bites her lip as she finishes dealing desire in her quadrant, finally starting to feel like herself again. It had been a few weeks and she and Aster were still getting the hang of being new parents. While taking care of three rather than one was definitely tiring, they had achieved a routine that worked well for them, and split up the responsibilities well enough that neither got completely exhausted.

They stayed in the Warren most of the time, but they still had rooms set up for the children in Cyprus in case they wanted to visit their other home. They had yet to do so, as they weren't sure how teleportation would affect them, but it was still left open as an option. Oddly enough, as soon as Fever was feeling back to normal, her weapons were perfectly functional and returned to her. When she confronted Val, he didn't fess up to any scheme, but Aster couldn't keep the secret from her anymore and outed the two men's attempts to keep her from working. She was annoyed of course, but she had to admire their tenacity and their concern for her.

She had been able to get out in the field a bit after she gained her energy back, but she was never out long. She always ended up coming home early because she missed her family so much.

Fever teleports back to the burrow after only an hour and leaves her weapons in the bedroom before heading out into the sunlight. She smiles at the sight of Aster amusing the children with some of his eggs. They weren't quite mobile yet, but they could sit up, and the expressions on their adorable little faces as they try to catch the wriggling eggs make her laugh. Aster turns around at the sound and smiles, immediately standing to embrace her.

"You're back early."

"Couldn't stay away." Fever says, giving him a peck on the cheek before crouching down to kiss Logan on the head. "I missed you all so much. How have they been?"

"Good. Fairly quiet, but they're enjoying the eggs." He says just as Darcy manages to catch one and inspects it. "I figured they could use some fresh air."

"Yeah." Her lips purse as she watches them, and she wonders just how much else they would be able to do in a few more weeks. They seemed to grow faster than humans, but Aster had assured her that it was normal. The thought leaves her quickly when she notices that Cooper is no longer close to the others, and almost panics until she sees him a little further away focused on something. "Cooper!"

The blonde Pooka barely perks up at his name, his little ears going back against his skull as he inspects something large in his hands. She walks over and sees that it is one of Aster's boomerangs, and watches with wide eyes as he lifts it to his mouth.

"It's fine, sheila."

"No, it's not fine. Those things are dangerous. Why are they even out here?" She asks irritated, taking the boomerang from her son. He instantly gets upset, letting out a small wail, and she tries to distract him with an egg instead.

"I always carry them with me. It must have fallen out of my holster." Fever sighs and glares at Aster, but he just rolls his eyes. "He doesn't even know how to use them. It's fine. He was just curious. I wouldn't let them get ahold of anything harmful." He looks offended that she would think so little of him as a parent, and she folds her arms across her chest.

"I know that, but don't you think you should be a little more careful?"

"What would you have me do? Lock them up so I don't have them when I need them?"

"No, because Pitch or Luke are going to pop up in the Warren." She says sarcastically, and Aster returns her glare. "Look, I'm just saying that maybe keep the weapons away from the kids until they're older, okay?"

"Mhmm. We'll just shelter them until they're adults." He says. "There is such a thing as being _too _careful."

"I just don't want-"

"Them to get hurt, I know. But you're freaking yourself out." He grasps her shoulders and wills her to relax a bit. "We can do this. You don't have to worry about every little thing that could go wrong."

"I don't worry about every little thing."

"Baby doll, the other day you freaked out because Darcy hiccupped."

"It was unexpected." He laughs at her defensive tone and hugs her, thankful that she was so devoted to being the best mother she could possibly be, but wanting her to take the time to actually enjoy it rather than worrying. It wasn't that he was so blasé about the whole thing, he wanted them to be safe and happy too, but he had seen so many Pooka growing up in the village that there wasn't much that he hadn't seen.

"It's great that you're trying to be the perfect mother, but just try to relax a bit."

"I will relax if you stop leaving your boomerangs everywhere." He smiles in amusement at her exaggeration and leans forward to kiss her. She seems ready to respond, until he feels a hard pressure that makes him gasp for breath, and looks down to see that she'd shoved his boomerang right into his ribcage. "Now go put it away." She smiles sweetly and pushes away from him, moving to sit down with the children. He grumbles under his breath, rubs the abused area and walks dejectedly toward the burrow. Fever shakes her head and smirks at Darcy, who has watched the exchange with wide green eyes. "He's so silly, isn't he?" Her daughter seems to smile back at her, and Fever picks her up and holds her close, feeling her heart swell.

xoXox

By the time the triplets reach the developmental stage of toddlers, they have their parents wrapped around their tiny little fingers. However, said parents also should have known that they would be trouble the moment they uttered their first words.

_"Don't worry about a thing. We'll just wait here for you." Fever smiles at Aster, who is reluctant to put Darcy down and begin his Easter duties. It was his first holiday since their birth and he had become as attached to them as they were to him. Despite his love for Easter, he loved his children so much more at that moment, and if he were honest, he would admit to being jealous that Fever got to stay home with them while he was working. He now understood why so often she would come home early. _

"_I'm not worried." He mutters, and Darcy smiles up at him, poking at his cheeks. It had become her new favorite game, and he would make funny faces back at her to make her laugh. "I just want to stay here."_

"_I know, but you can't leave everyone without their favorite bunny. So just hand her over and-"_

"_Da!" The high pitched squeal makes them both jump, and Fever's jaw drops along with her outstretched arms._

"_Did she just-" They gasp when Darcy grins and shouts it again. _

"_Da!" She points to Aster's face and giggles, repeating it over and over. "Da! Da! Da!"_

"_Her first word." Aster smiles widely and looks down into her eyes. "She said my name."_

"_Not really. Your name is Aster." He laughs at her pout and she puts her hands on her hips, clearly bummed out that it wasn't her name her daughter spoke first._

"_Well to her I'm Da." He tosses Darcy up in the air, making her giggle and scream, and catches her again, rubbing her nose with his. "I'm so proud of you." Fever mutters under her breath when Darcy says it again, and Aster smirks at her. "Don't be bitter just because she likes me best."_

"_She does _not _like you best!"_

"_Yes she does!"_

"_No, she-"_

"_Mama!" They stop arguing when she lets out another squeal, and this time she points at Fever. "Mama!"_

"_Ah ha!" The blonde laughs as Aster's smile fades. "Who's the favorite now? I got _two _syllables for my name!"_

"_No fair."_

"_Da! Mama!" _

For the rest of the day Darcy had been trying out her new words, and eventually got the boys saying them too. Fever had never let Aster hear the end of it that she had been the one to hear Logan and Cooper name them first, but he was still ecstatic when he got home that evening. Unfortunately, during their brain-sponge state they also gained the ability to repeat the words their parents shouldn't have allowed them to hear. The adults were still in the process of censoring themselves, and it was now a joke among the Guardian family that with every month the children aged, they learned two new words. They seemed to be growing up so fast right before their eyes, which was proven the day they suddenly seemed able to outrun their exhausted parents.

"Jeez, they're not slowing down." Fever watches with wide eyes as the children chase each other, their little legs propelling them forward as they run and hop around the green hills and flowers. "Are they supposed to be this fast already?" Aster watches the toddlers amusedly, their grins and laughter infectious.

"Yeah. We gain our speed pretty early in development. Most likely it's a defense mechanism."

"How long until they reach maturity?"

"I'm not sure. They're not all Pooka. But if I had to guess, I'd say they'll reach maturity in a few years." Fever's eyes widen and she stares at him in disbelief.

"That's one hell of a growth spurt." She says, and he shrugs.

"It's not so bad. I do wonder if they'll stay this way, though."

"What do you mean?" He stays silent for a moment as he tries to remember what he had been told so long ago.

"Well there's a theory that we can shape shift."

"_What?" _

"Shape shifters. It's never been proven and I don't know where the theory started, but it's always been a part of our culture. Seeing that they're half human, it makes me wonder if they'll stay Pooka-"

"Or if they could become human later on?" Fever asks.

"Exactly."

"That could seriously happen?" Aster shrugs.

"Nothing is certain. It's just a thought." Their eyes move back to the toddlers who are now screaming with delight, creating a dog pile in the middle of the grass. Darcy climbs up on top with a triumphant sound and instantly Logan is there to knock her off, starting a wrestling match. Fever starts to jump up but Aster keeps her still, annoying her.

"If they start a fight, you're ending it." She says, and he rolls his eyes.

"Fine."

"So if they do shift to human, what do we do?"

"I'm not sure we can even do anything. It just happens. According to the theory they could learn to control it, and it may even help them blend in more."

"Blend in?"

"Yeah, you know… with people."

"But are they even visible?" Fever asks, and Aster begins to answer, and then stops. Honestly he had no idea. They were born from two Spirits who could only be seen if someone believed, so there was no way to know if they were invisible to others. "Guess we'll have to find out, huh?"

"It would seem so. We could always use Jamie as a guinea pig."

"Yeah." Eventually Darcy seems to grow tired of the game because she hops back to Aster, instantly climbing into his lap. He smiles and wraps his arms around her.

"Done playing already?" She nods and points to the two remaining boys who are now in the middle of a full on battle, throwing paint at each other from one of the creeks. "Ahh."

"Ugh, see?" Fever throws her hands up and glares at Aster. "Now they're going to get all dirty-"

"It washes off."

"-and just wait. Someone will get it in their eyes, I guarantee it."

"They're not going to get it into someone's eyes."

"You want to bet on that?" She raises an eyebrow, and he smirks.

"Loser has to handle bath time."

"Deal." Aster looks back down at Darcy and begins to tickle her, resulting in squeals of joy. Fever laughs as she watches them, and then the two boys run in their direction, covered in pastel colors and their paws full of globs of paint. "Be careful!" She moves slightly away from them when they dart past them, using their parents as shields so the other can't throw any, and Aster just laughs.

"Let them have their fun. It's not really that-ah, crikey!" He yells out as paint goes directly into his eye, and growls and rubs at it, ignoring Fever's snickering.

"See? I told you! You get to handle bath time."

"No, you said-"

"I said it would go into _someone's _eye. It's yours, so I win." She smirks and Aster finishes wiping the paint off of his fur. Logan and Cooper, oblivious to their destruction, continue to chase each other throwing paint. Some of it from Aster's paw lands on Darcy, and she instantly makes a disgusted sound and crawls away from him. "Aww, look! Daddy's a mess!"

"Eww." Darcy's response makes Fever laugh, and she picks her up as the boys run their way again.

"Maybe we should get out of the line of fire, hm?" Darcy nods enthusiastically at the idea and Fever stands with a smirk. "You three have fun. We'll be elsewhere having good, _clean_ fun." As she carries Darcy away, she hears Aster yelling out in surprise as more paint hits him. One glance over her shoulder tells her that the boys have decided to include him in their battle, and she smiles despite the mess they create. Aster laughs and chases them, keeping the fun going. There is a tug on her hair and she looks down at Darcy who just rests her furry head on Fever's shoulder, seeming content to stay out of the fray. "How about we get some dinner?"

Fever doesn't let Aster get out of washing the kids, especially when he returns just as dirty, and so while he gives Darcy a bath she gets the now-clean boys ready for bed.

"Come on, you have to be getting tired." She smiles as Cooper practically hops in the middle of his bed.

"No!" He grins and shakes his head, and Fever just sits there between the two beds, considering ideas for getting them to surrender to bedtime, which they hated with a passion. "Story!" Logan perks up at this and begins to jump on his bed too, practically screaming his agreement.

"If I tell you one story, do you promise to go to sleep?"

"Yes!" She raises an eyebrow and both boys move their paws in front of them so she can see that their fingers are not crossed. "Please?"

"Please?"

"Okay, but you have to snuggle up first." They do as they're told and crawl underneath their blankets. Fever takes a moment to tuck them in before settling down on the soft grass between them. "Did I tell you boys about how your father and the other Guardians defeated Pitch?" They gasp out a "no" excitedly and she smiles. She had known the answer of course, but she was trying to make it more dramatic. She glances at the entrance of their room and sees Aster smile at her, carrying Darcy to her own room. She returns it before looking back to the boys, and begins the tale with an ominous tone.

"The boogeyman had them all cornered in a dark alleyway, all of the Guardians weak from so many children having stopped believing in them. But there was one child who still believed, a little boy named Jamie." Logan and Cooper's eyes widen and they settle further into their beds as she continues to tell them about how their father finally gained his strength and powers back, and how he helped defeat the boogeyman with his magical boomerangs and stone egg warriors. She mentioned the other Guardians also, but made sure that they saw their father as the hero. Aster would never forgive her if she mentioned that it was actually the children who brought Sandy back, who was really the winning chess piece in the game. The boys still listen, enraptured, and both try desperately to keep their eyes open as her story reaches the end. "And ever since then Pitch has not been able to spread his fear and destroy the hopes and dreams of little angels like you." She pokes Cooper on the nose playfully and he smiles, his eyelids finally dropping closed. She kisses him on the forehead and does the same to Logan before whispering that she loved both of them and exiting the room, heading into her and Aster's bedroom.

She changes into her pajamas and begins to brush her hair when Aster comes into the room and takes the brush from her, running it through her blonde locks.

"Darcy's asleep."

"Is she?" Aster presses the bristles into her neck lightly, making her shiver.

"Mhmm. The boys?"

"Practically snoring." He smiles and tosses the brush aside, using his fingers to part the remaining tangles in her hair, pressing his lips to her neck. Fever feels his paw move from her waist to her breast, teasing its peak, and shakes her head. "Can I help you?" His response is just to tease her nipple with his fingers and continue his kissing on her neck, making her sigh. "Aster…"

"Just relax." He whispers, and she turns around in his arms, reaching for his shoulders and attaching her lips to his. Relaxing was the last thing on her mind at that point. She pulls away just long enough to lie on her back on the bed and Aster kneels over her, pulling her shorts off. It doesn't take long before he is hard from Fever's squirming, and she smirks at him before flipping him over, kissing his jaw and moving backwards so she can kneel between his legs. She trails her fingers lightly over his erect flesh, chuckling when his breath hitches, and then flattens her tongue on him, dragging the wet muscle from his base to his tip, swirling it around and squeezing his testicles with her other hand. "Ah!"

"Hmm?" Her eyes dance at him and he musters up the ability to glare at her, urging her to continue. "What's wrong?"

"You know damn well what." He growls, trying to buck his hips. She tilts her head innocently and snakes her tongue out again, tracing patterns over him and stroking. "Fever!" She stops and raises an eyebrow.

"You're going to wake up the kids." She says, not entirely joking. They hadn't had the chance to be intimate in a while due to their busy schedule with the triplets. She didn't want their chance to be ruined because he was too loud. Usually that was her problem. "What do you want, Aster?"

"Suck me." She grins before wrapping her lips around him and lowering her mouth, engulfing him. He gasps and she glances up at him in warning before teasing his head with her lips and tongue. "Damn it…" She puts him out of his misery and lowers her mouth again, sucking him deep. She hums around him, the vibrations making him twitch in her mouth, and she wants to smile as she hears his muffled sounds. One of her hands continues to stroke his balls as she pleasures him with her mouth, his eyes staying on her face the entire time. He feels the familiar tightening in his groin and gasps, taking her hair in his hand and pulling her gently off of him.

Fever gives him a curious glance but he just leans over her and lines himself up with her entrance, feeling how wet she is. She lies on her back and curls her legs around his waist as he thrusts into her, bringing them closer.

"Ohh." She moans into his ear and grinds her hips against his, closing her eyes as she focuses on the feeling of being filled. It _had _been too long. Her moans increase with his speed and this time it is his turn to shush her, kissing her in an attempt to keep her voice from reaching the children's rooms. When that doesn't work, he resorts to covering her mouth with his paw, her panted breaths making him smirk.

"Shh, baby doll. If you want to cum, you have to stay quiet." He circles his hips and watches her eyes clench shut, her back arching. Her ankles lock together across his lower back and he thrusts harder, willing her to let go. She does so with a muffled scream, his grip on her mouth tightening. It was obvious that after so long of going without, neither of them were going to last long. Aster feels her walls clench around him and groans, keeping up his pace even when she constricts so much that it's harder to move. He grunts as he feels himself pulse and release within her, and she moans as his warmth fills her, prolonging her orgasm. "Shit…"

Aster removes his paw from her mouth and pulls out, listening to her sigh with satisfaction. She smiles up at him and lowers her legs from his waist, but she can't help but listen for a sign that they were overheard. When there is not even a squeak from the children, she grins up at him.

"Well, that wasn't so hard after all." She says, referring to staying quiet enough to get away with their intermission.

"Maybe for you." He replies, and kisses her, making her giggle. "How long until they can move out?" She smacks his shoulder and stretches her legs out as he settles next to her.

"Be glad that we got any time at all." She says, running her fingers over his fur and snuggling up next to him. His smile and the pleased rumble in his chest tell her that he is, and she holds him close as they fall asleep, the warmth from his body utterly comforting.

xoXox

It isn't until Fever wakes up the next morning that she wonders about the chances of her getting pregnant again. Mother Nature had said that she waited until the opportune moment, whatever that meant, but she didn't say anything about more children later on. She would really rather not be surprised. Three was plenty, and they were still getting used to that number. She wasn't sure she wanted to risk having another set of triplets. That thought causes her to climb out of bed, and Aster stirs from the movement.

"Fever?"

"Go back to sleep. I'm just stepping out for a minute." He nods sleepily and she kisses his cheek, smiling when he reaches out for her blindly. She pushes his arm down gently as he falls back asleep, and then teleports deep into the forest in Oregon near Mount Hood. She walks around a bit, taking in the serene landscape.

It doesn't take long for Mother Nature to find her, and she wonders if she was expected like last time. The nymph pops out from behind a tree with a friendly smile, and Fever returns it.

"Hello, Mother Nature."

"Hi, my darling!" The nymph practically skips over to her and gives her a hug, nearly knocking the blonde off of her feet. "Oh, I was wondering when you would return to me. I knew you would, of course! How are you?"

"I'm great, thank you. The children are wonderful as well."

"That's so good to hear." Mother Nature pulls Fever down to sit next to her on the grass and moss, and Fever feels as if she has gained another friend despite their irregular meetings. "What brings you to me?"

"Well first of all I want to thank you." Fever says sincerely, and Mother Nature grins. "This has been so wonderful for Aster and I. We have never been happier."

"You are both so welcome. I just knew you would be good parents."

"Thank you. It has been an adventure, but we wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. But what I really wanted to talk to you about was the chance of me getting pregnant again."

"Mhmm. Go on." Mother Nature watches her with a patient expression, and Fever hopes she doesn't take her next words personally.

"I want to know if you have any more plans for us."

"You want to know if I'm going to make you become pregnant again." She nods hesitantly, and Mother Nature eyes her intensely, making her squirm. "Do you want to?"

"I don't think so. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love them all so much and I'm very thankful, but I don't think we could handle another child, let alone another set of triplets. I think three is a good number for us." Fever waits uncomfortably, hoping she hadn't offended her in any way, and is relieved when Mother Nature nods.

"Yes, I can understand that. I'll explain the process a bit to you. I decided long, long ago that you would be chosen. It was even before your mortal birth. I didn't know who you would choose, but I knew you would be a good vessel." Fever would never get used to that term. It made her feel put up on a pedestal. It wasn't exactly bad, but it was odd. "Once you chose Aster, I was very excited because I knew you could continue the Pooka line. However, you having triplets was even a surprise to me, albeit a very pleasant one! Now, while I did want you two to procreate, I by no means will force you to do so again. Spirits don't usually have children anyway, so only my blessing allowed the first pregnancy. If you would like to stop having children now, I will respect that completely." Fever lets out a relieved sigh and smiles.

"Thank you."

"No problem, dear. Do bring the children to see me sometime, yes?"

"Of course." They both stand and the nymph embraces Fever for a long moment before they part ways.

Fever teleports back to the burrow only having been gone for a little while and keeping her promise to Aster. She moves back into the bed and laughs when he instantly curls around her, holding her hostage in his arms. She watches him sleep and mentally thanks fate for sending him to her. She was also thankful to Mother Nature for being so understanding. While she did love her children, she feared that if she were able to become pregnant after every intimate moment, which was often with them, then the result could be more than either of them could handle. She shakes her head at the thought and closes her eyes, settling for just relaxing as she was already wide awake. It didn't matter. She would lie in Aster's arms for as long as Spiritually possible.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **This chapter was a little jumbled but I wanted to get a lot of info in here. Coming up next is the triplets' first trip to the Pole for Christmas. Review please!


	13. christmas chaos

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 13:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aster asks yet again, making Fever laugh at his apprehension.

"We can't keep them home during their first Christmas. Come on, it will be fun!" He glances down at the children that are covered in scarfs and caps, running around excitedly about going to the Pole for the first time. They were about a year and a half old, but seemed older. They were old enough to get into trouble, and that was the reason that Aster was very hesitant to let them go to the Christmas party North was hosting for all of them after he finished delivering all of the presents.

They still didn't want to try teleporting and taking them through the tunnels would take too long, so North was coming by the Warren to pick them up in the sleigh, another reason why Aster was nervous. However, their excitement was infectious, and he finds himself smiling anyway. Fever reaches down to adjust the cap on top of Logan's head, and he grins at her. Aster had explained that their fur was good insulation, but he couldn't deny that he worried about their temperature as well. He had been to the Pole, and it was indeed cold. The last thing they needed was frozen Pooka.

"What time did he say he was coming?" Fever asks, and just as he opens his mouth to answer, a swirling vortex of lights appears in the middle of the field and the reindeer come through, snorting and stomping on the ground. Fever keeps a hold on Logan and Aster grabs the other two to make sure they aren't in the way of the sleigh when it comes completely through. North stops the vehicle and immediately jumps out, ambling over to them and pulling Fever into a hug.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, North. How did everything go?"

"Fantastic! Not one problem, and some of the children have already woken up to see their presents. All is well." He grins proudly, and she can tell that he is relieved to see another Christmas go off without a hitch.

"Great." She smiles and returns it before looking down at the children. "Tell him hi, guys."

"Hi Mr. North!" They say in unison, and the older man crouches down to their level to wave hello and ask if they're ready for the party. They reply enthusiastically and begin to tell them about how good they had been in their limited vocabulary. They seemed about three to four years old developmentally, and were already expressing the desire to learn more about the world. They had been dying to see North's workshop since Aster started telling them stories about it, and Fever was glad to see that North was just as happy to meet them and obviously knew how to connect with them. She smiles at Aster, and then sees him knocking on the sleigh before thumping it with his foot. She walks over to where he is studying it and clears her throat, making him jump.

"What are you doing?" He gives her a sheepish smile and stutters for a moment before saying that he was checking to make sure it was safe.

"I've been in it before, and it was terrifying. You can never be too careful."

"It can't be _that _bad."

"It goes too high and too fast, and if it weren't for you, the kids would be staying here for Christmas until they were old enough to use the tunnels." She laughs and kisses his cheek, trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. The yetis had built in special seats and belts for the children per their requests, so it was really as safe as it could get.

"Mommy, lift me up?" Darcy pulls on the bottom of Fever's coat, and the blonde obeys so the little girl can see the reindeer up close. The young Pooka's eyes widen and she puts out a hand to pet the velvety antlers, squealing when the animal snorts and shakes his head in response. "He's pretty!"

"He is, isn't he?" She agrees, and the boys immediately want to meet the animal up close as well.

"Everyone loves the sleigh." North mutters with a grin, and Aster rolls his eyes, already fed up with him.

"You just _had _to make a spectacle of it, didn't you, mate?"

"It's their first Christmas. I had to go all out!"

"Whatever. Can we go now?"

"Yes. Everybody in!" North yells, and the children cheer and try to climb in by themselves. Fever and Aster help them, and make sure they're secured in the new seats before sitting next to them. "Make sure to hold on tight!" Aster groans and Fever watches with amusement, thinking he was being dramatic… until the sleigh takes off.

She screams as they jolt forward and up into the sky, her hand grasping Aster's arm on impulse. North laughs as the children scream too, their sounds much more centered on joy rather than fear, and they throw their little arms up in the air, their feet kicking outwards. Aster gives Fever a look that clearly says, "I told you so," and she just clenches her eyes shut when North throws out his snow globe, creating a portal to the Pole.

It doesn't get much better once they're in the cold air of his home, but she manages to crack her eyes open and admire the glaciers surrounding them from such a height. She feels Aster grip her hand and gently remove it from its death hold on him, and she laughs unsteadily.

"Sorry."

"You're afraid of heights?" He asks curiously, and she shrugs with a bashful smile. She hadn't really spent a lot of time in the air, and the few times she had been, she didn't really enjoy it. When Jack had grabbed her, she had felt fear even though she knew he wouldn't drop her, and even though she trusted North with all of their lives, she still didn't care for being so high up and moving at such a speed. "I never knew that." His expression tells her that he felt strange for not knowing something like that after they'd been together for so long. It simply hadn't come up in conversation.

"I prefer to be safely on the ground." She mumbles, and glances back at the kids to make sure they were okay. Their eyes are wide with wonder as they look upon the palace and yetis surrounding it. The large creatures wave at them from below, and North begins the descent with a few twists and turns that make Aster hold her tighter.

"That makes two of us." He forces out, and both of them breathe a sigh of relief when the sleigh finally touches the ground, bumping along a bit before it stops completely inside of an icy tunnel.

North jumps out immediately and ushers them through the double doors leading to the main building. Fever walks in with Darcy on her hip, and Aster holds the boys' hands to make sure they don't take off at the first sight of the workshop.

"Ooh!" Right on cue, Cooper tries to break away when an elf runs past them, but Aster keeps him from escaping and smiles at his enthusiasm.

"You can play with them later, okay?" Cooper pouts but nods obediently, and they continue into the globe room, where everything is decorated in red and green, streamers looping from every rafter and a giant tree with every type of ornament and light bulb standing by the fireplace. The other Guardians are already there to celebrate with them, and Truth and Val are there as well.

"Wow. This is uh… something." Fever mutters, overwhelmed with the decorations.

"Yeah, it's too much." Aster says, and she shakes her head at him, telling him silently not to start a holiday war. She had known about his and North's rivalry for a while, and didn't want him going through the entire night with a bad attitude.

"It's beautiful." She smirks as he pouts and sets Darcy down when she knows it is safe. "Hey, everybody."

"Hey!" Truth laughs when Darcy runs toward her and climbs into her lap, and the angel instantly hugs her. "How's my favorite little girl? Oh, goodness, they wrapped you up like a little present, didn't they?" She giggles as her honorary aunt takes off her outerwear now that they're inside, and Jack and Tooth welcome the other two.

"Please, can I see them?" Tooth begs, and Logan smiles with his mouth stubbornly closed, refusing to let her peek at his little teeth. "Pretty please with mint paste on top?" He giggles but still shakes his head, happy to continue the game with the disgruntled fairy. She sighs as Fever sits down with them and her son immediately hops onto her lap. "Are they coming in yet? He won't show me."

"Yes. They're tiny though." She pokes her finger into the gray Pooka's side and he squeals in delight, trying to escape the tickling assault. Tooth coos when she catches sight of his little teeth and grins, just barely managing to keep her fingers away from them.

"They're so perfect and sparkly white! I can't wait until they fall out!"

"No!" Logan cries out, and Fever laughs again, shaking her head.

"You'll get new ones, sweetie. It's okay. And Tooth will keep them nice and safe for you."

"That's right, little one. I have an entire collection at my palace. My fairies keep everyone's teeth, even your mother's."

"Really?" He glances up at Fever with wide eyes, and it is at that point that Aster joins them with a smirk.

"I would love to see _those _memories." He says, sitting next to her and nudging her playfully.

"My childhood wasn't that interesting." She replies, but Tooth breaks into a laugh.

"Oh that's a lie!" She interrupts, and turns to Aster with amusement. "She lost one of her front teeth falling out of a tree." Fever blushes at the memory and Aster laughs. "She was trying to prove a group of boys wrong that she couldn't climb up a tree as high as they could. She won, but when she fell she knocked her tooth out."

"So _that's _why you don't like heights." Aster points out, and she once again shrugs.

"I didn't care for being up high before that, but I couldn't stand that they thought I was a priss." She rolls her eyes, thinking of those boys that never let her play with them. She had worn her broken smile with honor, because it proved that she was tougher than them, and they never lived it down that they were beat by a girl. She glances over at her daughter in Truth's lap, and wonders if she will be the same way, trying to best her brothers in everything. Sandy is creating little sand figures around her, making her laugh and try to catch the glowing golden swirls without success.

North watches his friends happily before turning to Phil and asking him to bring dinner. He had looked forward to this all year, finally getting everyone together and being able to spend some time with the little ones. Even though he had been excited to fulfill his duty as a Guardian that night and make sure every child on Earth got what they wanted most, he was doing one better by giving himself the greatest gift he could get; time with his family. Phil returns with some more yetis carrying trays of food, and he calls to the others that dinner is ready.

"North, you didn't have to do all of this." Truth says with a smile, but the white haired man just shakes his head as they sit at the long set up table.

"I wanted to. I've been looking forward to this all year." He says. Aster helps the kids into their chairs and soon everyone is passing the food around and chatting. Toasts are made to friendship, life, and love, and dinner progresses into the more traditional Christmas activities.

xoXox

The triplets are most interested in the presents that are waiting for them underneath the tree. They gape at the brightly colored packages covered in bows and ribbon, and as soon as dinner is over they rush to claim the ones with their names, separating them. Fever warns them not to push and shove and they sit down to begin unwrapping the gifts with excited smiles on their faces.

"Ooh! Thank you Mr. North!" Cooper reaches into the box and pulls out a shiny silver robot. Darcy cuddles up with an oversized teddy bear and Logan climbs onto his new scooter, immediately trying it out around the room.

"Oh great." Aster watches him speed around laughing with glee and visualizes all of the damage he could do to the Warren. "Sometimes I think he exists to make my life harder." Fever turns to him with a glare and warns him to be nice.

"He didn't have to do this, you know."

"That's exactly my point. He didn't have to be a rotter and make his holiday seem like it's the best one of the year, but look at them," he points to their children, happily playing with their toys and beginning to go through the rest of the presents with fervor, "They're more excited than I've ever seen them. And it's all his fault!"

"Yes, it's completely North's fault that they're happy." Fever smirks at him, and he sighs. They were separated from the others at that moment so they keep their voices soft as not to disturb them. The children were moving onto the gifts from the other Guardians as they had already received their gifts from Val and Truth. "You know they still love you, right? A new toy isn't going to change that."

"But they're-"

"Allowed to like other holidays, Aster. No offense but they see painted eggs every day. Of course they're going to enjoy something different."

"I just think he could have toned it down a bit." He grumbles, and Fever shrugs as she glances up at the outrageous decorations.

"Aww, you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Yes you are. And it's adorable." He glares at her and she just giggles at the put out expression on his face. "Well now you know how I feel."

"What?"

"I don't get a holiday. Val has one, but all it involves is a bouquet of flowers and a cliché card that gets thrown out a week later. You guys get a day that people plan for months in advance and get excited for. No one cares about me though. I always get overshadowed. All I have is a stupid song." She pouts, and he instantly wraps an arm around her waist.

"You do?" This only makes her pout harder, and he laughs and holds her close, nuzzling her neck. "I'm sorry, baby doll. You're right."

"Yes, I am." She smiles and gives him a peck on the lips. "North is just being nice, and I'm glad the kids are having so much fun." It is at that point that a screech makes them jump apart, and they turn just in time to see Logan take off after an elf carrying a tray of cookies. As he didn't have much of a sweet tooth, they could only assume that he was chasing after the former. "Logan!"

"Elf!" He screams, and Dingle runs away as fast as he can, but not fast enough. Cooper joins in the chase and soon they have the terrified little elf cornered.

"You're scaring him!" Darcy shouts in his defense, but Dingle slips around them and runs again, out of the globe room and into the hallway. Cooper and Logan take chase again despite North's pleas for them to stop, and Fever breaks away from Aster to try to catch them.

"Val, help me!" The boys break away from their mother and uncle, and continue to hop in pursuit, and unfortunately Phil chooses that time to open the door completely, giving them a wide berth to follow Dingle into the workshop.

"No!" North yells in terror, knowing the trouble they could get into. Numerous shrieks and the sounds of bells jingling tells them that they have indeed found it.

"Oh, shit." Fever doesn't even bother censoring herself as she runs into the workshop, watching the horror unfold. Elves are running in terror every which way, and toys are being knocked off of shelves as the young Pooka knock into them, their eyes wide in delight. Yetis are trying to keep the damage at a minimum, and she can only be thankful that Christmas has been fully delivered, because if it hadn't, they would no doubt be in a lot of trouble. "Cooper! Logan! Stop right now!"

The only reply she gets is a gleeful scream and she drops onto her hands and knees to try to grab Logan's legs. He crawls away from her and she curses again.

"Ooooh, mommy swore!" Darcy says from behind her, and she turns to see Truth standing there with the blonde Pooka in her arms.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." She apologizes, and then tries to catch Logan again. He escapes further underneath one of the work tables and Fever stands to catch him on the other side. "This is hopeless." More yetis grumble and grunt as they are disturbed by the uncontrolled game of tag, and North cries out in worry.

"They will destroy everything!"

"No they won't." Fever says firmly, but when the two split up in different directions to wreak more havoc, she groans and turns to Sandy. "If I track them down, can you knock them out?" The golden man nods with a determined grin, and Jack frowns.

"Isn't that a little excessive? I mean, couldn't we just give them a time out?" A decisive crash emanates from another room, making him flinch. "Alright. I'll keep an eye on Darcy with Truth."

"Ooh, this will be fun! It's like a scavenger hunt with actual people!" Tooth laughs, and flies above their heads to try to find the two boys from a higher vantage point. She frowns when all she sees is frazzled elves and yetis, and bites her lip worriedly. "They must be somewhere else in the workshop."

"Alright. Sandy?" He puts his hand in Fever's, and she locks onto Cooper's heartbeat first, teleporting to his location. She blinks when they are suddenly shrouded in darkness. "What the-" She yelps when something knocks her over, and Sandy tumbles over as well, lighting up the area with his glowing sand. Instantly they realize that they are in a closet, and just barely catch sight of Cooper before he laughs and jumps out, pushing the door closed so they are once again in darkness. "Ugh. I swear he gets his mischief from his father." She pushes onto the door but finds that it won't budge. "Ugh, Cooper! Open the door!"

"No!" Fever shakes her head and looks back to Sandy before gripping his arm and teleporting them out just in time to see Cooper's tail turn around the corner. She chases after him, telling Sandy to follow her, and then when she reaches the fork in the hallway she crashes into someone. She falls back with a groan and lies there a moment, her head throbbing.

"Sorry, baby doll." Aster's paw moves over her aching head and she groans again. "Ooh, that's going to leave a mark."

"I don't doubt it. Did you catch him?"

"No, he got away." He helps her up and Sandy gives her a sympathetic glance as she pokes at her temple where she'd hit it on the floor. "I told you we should have stayed home."

"Oh shut it!" She pushes him away from her and grabs a laughing Sandy before teleporting away. Aster sighs and looks ahead, his eyes widening when he sees Logan sticking his tongue out at him.

"Hey!" He runs toward him and his son's face freezes in fear. He had seen his father run before, and he knew that he couldn't escape now. "Get back here!"

"Ahhh, mommy!" Aster chuckles at the idea that Fever would help him get away and when he's close enough, he scoops Logan up in his arms and holds on tight so he can't wriggle out.

"Your mother is just as upset with you as I am, mate. You shouldn't have run off like that."

"We were just playing!" Logan squirms, but his father tightens his grip and begins walking back into the globe room to keep him there until the others got back.

"Well you caused a big mess. You should have listened when we said to stop."

"Sorry." He mumbles, and lifts his head to make his eyes wide and innocent. "Are we in trouble?"

"You have no idea." Aster replies with a smirk, and Logan crosses his arms over his little chest the entire way back, seeing that his trick hadn't worked. "Save that for North. He's the one who you will be apologizing to."

xoXox

Cooper peeks around the corner to make sure it's clear before hopping around to find his way back to the workshop. He glances around above him, seeing complex machinery and bolts of what looked like wrapping paper of all colors. Barrels of bows and rolls of ribbon were also stacked as far as he could see, and he smiles as he explores what he assumes to be the room where the yetis wrap the presents.

"Cool." He mutters, and moves closer to the bows, pulling one out of the barrel and peeling the sticky paper back from it. He grins and sticks it on his forehead, laughing when it stays there, nearly obscuring his vision. He continues to look around the room, wrapping himself in a bright red ribbon to match the bow on his head, turning himself into a living breathing present. He is going to leave when there is a strange noise from one of the corners, and he gasps and backs up, suddenly frightened. "Dad?" He gets no response, and his ears flop backwards, his tail twitching and his legs ordering him to run.

He really knew nothing that was in the room. He didn't expect there to be anything scary or mean in the Pole. It was, after all, the home of Santa, who just dealt with wonder and happiness. But at the moment the sound was becoming closer, and all he wanted was to be back with his parents. He gasps again when something moves to his side and he instantly tries to run in any direction away from the unknown threat.

"Gotcha!" Arms suddenly enclose him and he screams before he sees his mother's dark brown eyes, stern but comforting. He instantly relaxes and smiles, overcome with relief, and she just sighs and carries him out of the wrapping room into the hallway. "Cooper, what are we going to do with you?" He continues to smile, and then she laughs as she can see why he had felt so odd in her grip. He was covered head to toe in red ribbon. "What did you do?"

"I made myself a present!" He says, and she nods.

"Yes, you did. But you know, you're already our favorite gift." She kisses his fuzzy cheek and he wraps his arms around her neck. "But you shouldn't have run off."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to catch the elves."

"I know. But you made a lot of trouble for Mr. North, and you will have to apologize."

"Yes, mommy." She nods and continues carrying him to the globe room.

When she gets there she sees North pacing and looking frazzled, as is expected. The yetis had righted everything in the workshop and had already gotten back to making toys, but the elves were nowhere to be seen, most likely chased off for the rest of the night. The others were still sitting by the fire, now talking and drinking eggnog as if nothing had happened. Aster is sitting there as well, with Logan complacently in his lap.

"Thank you, everyone." She says, announcing their presence, and Aster smiles at her and Cooper.

"Did you find him? All I see is a bunch of ribbon." He says, standing and moving over to them. Cooper laughs as his father makes a joke of searching for him within the red satin, and then they put him down and Aster nudges both him and his brother toward North.

"Um, Mr. North?" Logan asks, and the older man turns to them with patient eyes. "I'm sorry I chased the elves and messed up your home."

"I'm sorry, too. We didn't mean to." Cooper adds, looking down. "Did we hurt anybody?"

"Of course not. Everything is fine now, thank you. The elves are just a little disturbed. Nothing you did will interfere with Christmas for next year. Thank you for your apologies." North smiles at them kindly, and they sigh in relief. North understood that children only wanted to have fun, and that sometimes things got out of control. It wasn't fair to continually punish them for being themselves, so long as they were remorseful and learned from their mistakes. He knew that they were not bad children, and would never dream of treating them as such. He kneels down to them and hands them each a candy cane, winking at them to assure them that there were no hard feelings.

"Good job." Fever whispers to them, and she moves closer to look them in the eyes. "Now I think it's time for bed, hm? It's been a long day." They frown at the idea, but don't argue. "Don't worry, you'll see everyone again soon." She kisses them each on the forehead, moving the bow aside on Cooper's to do so, resulting in more giggles, and then she sends a requesting look at Sandy. He smiles and moves closer before gently blowing golden sand into their faces, and their eyes droop slowly as they fall asleep, slumping in Fever's arms. She hugs them for a moment and rises to stand as Aster takes a sleeping Darcy as well.

Little sand figures appear above their heads, and she watches curiously as they take the form of two people, both different in appearance but holding hands and looking very happy as they dance.

"Wha…" She turns to Aster, and he is smiling as well. Sandy grins and jumps up and down before pointing at the two of them, and Fever feels her heart swell. "They're dreaming about us?"

"Aww, that's so sweet." Truth says, and Fever sighs.

"I guess we should get them home."

"No, not yet!" North says, and then hushes his voice as not to wake the children. "We are not done celebrating yet."

"But the kids-"

"Will be fine in the nursery where we make the doll cribs and chairs. I will have Phil keep an eye on them. Sandy?" The Sandman smiles and hits the kids with another dose of sand, guaranteeing that they won't be disturbed for the rest of the night until they were ready to wake up. "I promise, all will be well. Please?" Fever glances at Aster, who shrugs and smiles, and she does the same.

"Okay." She follows Phil to the nursery, and the yeti opens the door for them with a grunt. "Oh, wow." It is just as North has said, complete with doll houses, cribs, and rocking chairs. Some of the beds were child sized though, and looked strong enough to hold them easily. Aster sets Darcy down on one and pulls the blanket up over her, running a paw over her head affectionately. Fever hands him Cooper, and he sets him down as she tucks Logan in, their heads still swimming with dreams of their parents' love for them and each other. "Well, I guess they'll be okay here."

"They will be." Aster pulls her close reassuringly, and then smirks. "Come on, let's go celebrate with the others."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **While the children are away, the adults will play! Review please!


	14. eggnog is dangerous

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 14:

Fever would have never guessed that North would be one to make alcoholic eggnog. She expected virgin drinks or even hot chocolate. But as she takes an appreciative sip of the traditional drink, she detects a burn within the vanilla spice flavor, and it makes her glance at him suspiciously.

"You spiked this." She says, and North grins.

"It is my specialty. It's good, yes?" Fever just stares at him, and then glances at her brother, who downs his enthusiastically. Jack just tips his glass to her in a celebratory salute, and the other two girls are already giggling. Obviously the drink had been flowing while they had been putting the children to sleep.

"It's delicious. Cheers to another great Christmas, North!" Val says, and moves to the table piled with deserts to refill his glass. Fever shakes her head in disbelief and stares down at her own. Sandy taps her arm and gestures for her to join in, but she sets it down on the table instead. She didn't drink too much in her mortal or immortal life, but when she did, she knew that she became very uninhibited. She didn't mind having drinking competitions with Val back in Cyprus because they were always alone and she could never embarrass herself among others. But she was around the Guardians, and even though she didn't believe in Spiritual hierarchy, she didn't want to ruin her reputation with them.

"I don't really drink." She lies, and at the same time Truth and Val both break into mocking laughter.

"Bullshit!" Truth yells, and Fever's jaw drops. Never had she heard the angel utter a profane word, and now she was doing so loudly and proudly.

"North!" The older man just shrugs and grins, lifting his own glass.

"She's just scared that she'll end up saying something personal." Val says with a smirk. "She's no stranger to debauchery."

"Of that I have no doubt." Aster says, and she glares at him. He pours himself a goblet full of eggnog, and then picks up hers, handing it to her. "Get rid of this illusion of propriety, baby doll. And throw out that G-rated view of us while you're at it. If there's one thing about Christmas that I don't mind, it's celebrating with my friends." At that, he hands her the drink, and smirks before taking a swig of his own. Fever stands there and glances at the others, who are now involved in their own conversations, laughing and having fun. Usually she didn't succumb to peer pressure, but the idea of being the only sober one in the group and having to listen to their raised voices and incoherent babbling sounded extremely un-fun. It would be more logical to drink as well, in order to preserve her sanity… right?

She looks back at Aster and raises her glass to her lips, enjoying the flavor against her taste buds and the slight burn of alcohol in her throat. She begins to lower it, but Aster's paw moves to tip it up further, forcing her to swallow more. With every gulp Fever knows this is a bad idea, but by the time the first glass is gone, she is ready to see how the Guardians really party.

xoXox

"Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle… uhh… bells!"

"All the way!" Tooth giggles and corrects Val as he tries to remember the song. "You lose! My turn!" She flies as best she can in front of the group and stands on the carpet, trying to think of a carol to sing. "Okay! Um… Dashing through the snow!"

"That's the same song!" Jack laughs, and the others join him. They were playing a game where you sing a Christmas song, and if you forget the words, the next person to finish them gets to go next, and so on and so on. The first few songs had gone well, but by the time everyone had had at least one drink, there was more fumbling and less winning rounds.

"Does anyone really know the real words, anyway? I mean, most of the songs aren't that good." Truth asks, and North glares at her for treating the songs dedicated to his holiday so disrespectfully. "I'm just sayin."

"I propose a new game!" Val says, and Fever groans, knowing what game he wants to play. "How about 'Person Most/Least likely?'"

"What's that?" Tooth asks, curiously.

"It's a personality game. You name something, and everyone has to choose who they think would most likely or least likely do said thing."

"Sounds boring." Jack says, making Val smirk.

"It doesn't have to be. For example, you can ask, who's most likely to enjoy painting an egg? The answer would obviously be Bunny." He nods toward Aster, and then shrugs. "Boring. But you can ask a better question like, who's most likely to have watched two strangers have sex? That would be Fever."

"Hey!" She glares at him and shifts uncomfortably at everyone's stares. "Who's most likely to stay single for the next two hundred years?" She raises an eyebrow at him and a low "oooh" goes through the group as the gauntlet is dropped. Val just smirks and nods, raising his glass.

"And the game begins." He says, and points to Truth on his right. "Your turn." They all shift slightly so they're in a circle, and then North jumps up and grins.

"Wait! I have an idea!" The others watch him curiously as he leaves the globe room into the workshop, and when he returns he is holding multiple small dry erase boards and some markers. "This will make it more fun."

"Ah, good idea. This way there will be more mystery added." Val says, and he helps North pass the boards and markers around the circle. "Alright, go Truth."

"Okay. Who's most likely to lie?" It isn't as racy as the first, but it makes them all smile and write on their boards. After a few moments, Truth raises her own, prompting everyone else to do the same.

"Oh, come on! I don't lie!" Jack says with a glare toward everyone. All of their boards have his name in different colors and handwriting.

"We didn't say you lied. We said you'd be most likely to lie." Aster says.

"How do you figure that?"

"Well you _are_ the most mischievous." North replies. "Doesn't mean you're a bad person."

"I want to know why you chose _me?" _Val says to Jack, who rolls his eyes.

"Because you're the one who always tries to get out of conflict. I have no doubt that you'd lie to do so." Val opens his mouth to protest, and then shrugs.

"Fair enough."

"Alright, it's my turn." North says with a grin. "Who's most likely to get into a fight?"

"Does this count as a two-person question?"

"Sure." There is silence as everyone writes, and then the boards are flipped, and laughs erupt. Aster and North are the pair that win the round, but there is also a Fever-Aster bid, as well as a Jack and Aster bid.

"So needless to say, Aster is the one who starts all of the fights." Fever smirks at him and he glares at her, only making her laugh.

"I do not."

"Do too."

"You totally do." Jack interrupts, and Aster turns his glare on the Winter sprite.

"I only fight with you when you mess with my season."

"I'm only doing my job."

"And I'm trying to do mine."

"How long do these last?" Val whispers to Tooth, who just laughs.

"When one runs out of breath."

"Who's least likely to stay awake through their bickering?" Fever asks, and everyone else raises their hands, resulting in the fight ending and the two men nursing their feelings with a fresh glass of eggnog.

"This is moving into the boring realm again. Let's mix it up." Val says, and Fever shakes her head.

"You just can't get your mind out of the gutter."

"Hello pot, my name is kettle."

"Oh shut up. Who's most likely-"

"You already went."

"Don't care. Who's most likely to pass out first?" At that moment Sandy's head drops, and he doesn't move. North tries to poke at him, but it doesn't do anything, and so he just smiles and lies Sandy's head down on the floor, allowing him to rest more easily.

"Who's most likely to lose one of the triplets?" Tooth asks, and a groan goes through the group.

"Definitely Aster." Fever says with a pointed look.

"Hey! You couldn't even catch Cooper!"

"I did, didn't I?"

"Well I caught Logan!"

"A miracle, that." It turns out to be a tie, and then it is Aster's turn to ask a question. He takes his time thinking about one, and then waits until Fever is taking a sip of eggnog to pose it.

"Who's most likely to enjoy being tied up?" He smirks when she inhales and chokes on the liquid, and Val begins to beat on her back to help her.

"Whoa, what's that sis?"

"You son of a bitch." She gasps, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Now we're getting into the good stuff." Jack smirks and North laughs at the blush on Fever's cheeks.

"It was just a simple question." Aster's eyes are innocent, and he shrugs.

"Simple question, my ass." Fever grumbles.

"Don't be embarrassed, there was this one time that I-" Tooth begins to speak, not at all self-conscious, and it is at that point that Truth raises a hand and grins.

"I have a better idea. Since we're getting into the realm of dirty little secrets, how about we change up the game a little?"

"What do you mean?" North asks, and the angel laughs.

"We play 'I Have Never,' and we add a little bit more alcohol to it. Secrets flow more smoothly that way."

"This is a dangerous game." Aster says, gaining Fever's attention. She was desperate for revenge, and his nervousness makes her even more greedy to see him embarrassed.

"I'll get more eggnog." She rises from her spot next to Aster, who sighs.

"Good. We're going to need it. We'll go around the circle. The person will say one thing they have never done. If you haven't done it either, you're fine. But if you have, then you take a drink. But there's also a catch. If only one person drinks, then they have to expand on what they have done."

"Ooh, I love this game." Jack laughs, rubbing his hands together mischievously.

"Me too. Who will start?"

"I will." Fever says, and she smirks at Aster. "I have never had to tie down a woman to make her have sex with me."

"That is not fair! I didn't _make _you do anything!"

"Drink up, Aster." She grins as he obeys with a scowl.

"Wait a minute. Was this your first time together?" Val asks, and Fever detects a hint of protectiveness in his posture. She smiles at that and shakes her head.

"No, it was after some practice, so relax."

"Me next." Tooth chirps. "I have never kissed a girl." All of the men drink, as they had in their past lives, and then Truth drinks, shocking them.

"Are you serious?" Jack coughs, and Truth shrugs before glaring at Fever, who is purposefully staring into space. The angel clears her throat and raises her glass, and Fever sighs before taking a sip. "No way!"

"Long story! More than one person drank so we don't have to explain. Go!"

"Aw, come on-"

"Go!"

"You two are no fun." Jack pouts, and rolls his eyes. "I have never touched someone inappropriately while working." No one but Tooth drinks, and it makes everyone gasp in disbelief. She seemed to sweet and innocent that it was unimaginable. Still, after she finishes drinking, she raises a hand to stop the incoming questions.

"It was an accident, okay? I was going for the tooth under their pillow, and for some reason they were sleeping with their rear end at the head of the bed! My hand touched their butt, I didn't mean it!" She says in a rush, and laughs are shared all around at her misfortune. It had sounded so dirty when it was admitted, but it was so fitting that it was a mistake. "I have never caught someone masturbating." Tooth says, and North drinks with a slight blush.

"Another accident. I was delivering presents and the kid got bored waiting for them, I guess." He says, and Tooth nods in understanding. You never knew what you would walk in on at night.

"Ugh, all of these accidents. I want something juicy that can be used for blackmail." Val says, and grins at his sister. "I have never kissed Fever…" he pauses and shakes his head as Aster begins to drink, "while I was a girl." The others laugh at his sneakiness, and Truth and Fever groan.

"Seriously, Val?"

"I'm dead serious." He says, and smirks at his plan having worked. "Tell the story." Truth shakes her head and sighs, drinking her entire glass to gain the courage.

"Okay, so it involved alcohol, of course. We were just having a girls' night shortly after she'd become a Spirit, and… oh jeez, Fever, help?" Her eyes are desperate, and Fever can't handle letting her take the fall alone.

"We decided to see how intense my powers worked, so I hit her with my best shot, and it caused her to get a little friendly. That's it. Completely artificial lust, so don't get so excited." She glares at Aster in particular, and he just smirks.

"But you should have known what would happen, right? Apparently you weren't so worried about kissing her."

"Who gets to say they've kissed an angel? I'm not ashamed." Fever raises an eyebrow and Truth giggles. The guys all shift a little bit and it gives her inspiration. "I have never gotten an erection while working." The game had gone from somewhat innocent questions to those with motives to out people's most embarrassing secrets, but no one bothered to try to stop it. It was far too amusing. Jack tips his glass up, and Aster flat out laughs at him.

"It wasn't my fault. The cold was making her nipples show out of her shirt." He says with a blush.

"Oh yeah, and I'm sure you stopped right away when you noticed, right?" Tooth smirks at him and he turns even redder. "We aren't just pieces of meat you know. We have feelings."

"Yeah, and it's not so much fun for us when that happens. If it's really cold, then you chafe and trust me, that is not so much fun." Truth adds.

"Oh, please! Don't talk to me about chafing until you've nursed three newborns!" Fever says, and Val instantly groans.

"Why do you have to take it in that direction? Here we were talking about breasts and nipples and you have to bring up children."

"Would you rather have chafed nipples or be punched in the breast as hard as possible?" Truth asks with a grin.

"Punched. The pain doesn't last as long." Fever answers, and Tooth nods in agreement.

"Who the hell would do that?" Jack asks, and they all shrug.

"It was more of a hypothetical question. Like, would you rather eat cookies or potato chips?"

"Cookies." North laughs as if the question is the most ridiculous he has ever heard. "That's too easy."

"Alright then. Would you rather make all of the toys for next year singlehandedly, or allow the elves to make them?" That makes North cringe, and he takes a swig of eggnog as if to dismiss either option.

"Those poor elves deserve a vacation after what they went through today." Tooth says with a sympathetic frown. "Who knew your kids had so much energy?"

"They get it from their father." Fever mutters, and Aster blushes under his fur, fully catching the implication and the teasing glint in her eyes. She leans into his side, smiling and reaching up to tap his nose with her finger. "You're just like a little energizer bunny, never running out of steam." She giggles and he uncomfortably moves her hand away from his face, clearing his throat.

"Alright, you've had enough." He takes her glass and puts it next to him where she can't reach it, but she just climbs over his lap to get at it, and he lets out an annoyed sound.

"You can't tell me what to do." She says, and ignores his arm against her front pushing her away. "Fine! I'll just get more. North?" Fever turns to their host, and then blinks in confusion at the sight of him in the same position as Sandy; lying on his back and fast asleep.

"It looks like you're cut off, baby doll." Aster says with a smirk, and she continues to pout. "Would you rather drink till you pass out or be able to remember the rest of tonight in the morning?"

"Neither. I'd like to keep drinking and then wake up tomorrow remembering the best Christmas _ever_ that I enjoyed with my friends." She blinks at him innocently, and his eyes narrow as he realizes that she's trying to bait him. "Why can't I have my cake and eat it too?"

"Because you're not allowed to like cake." Aster's bitter answer makes them all laugh, and Fever shakes her head.

"Sometimes you never know what you like until you take a bite." Aster's eyes immediately move to settle on her mouth, and he can tell by the way her lips twitch upwards that she notices. "Isn't that right, Thumper?"

"Okay, that's enough." Val coughs and not so subtly tries to change the subject. "No biting allowed. Ever."

"A little love bite never hurt anybody." Tooth says, and Fever catches her glance at Jack as a small blush appears on her cheeks. "I mean, if you're with the right person." Fever grins to herself as she notices a new couple in the making. She was sensitive to people's feelings, and it was obvious that Tooth was interested in Jack for more than friendship. She looks over at Val and he is watching the fairy also while pretending to be involved in conversation with Jack and Aster. He smirks at Fever with a small nod, and she giggles, gaining her boyfriend's attention.

"What's so funny?" Not wanting to give away their intentions, she simply shrugs and leans into his side, closing her eyes. "Are you tired?" She shakes her head in denial, but her eyelids refuse to open, and she feels him shift to wrap his arm around her. "Maybe we should get home."

"No." She whines, wanting to just stay there.

She loses the argument though, because it is very late and their children were going to wake up eventually. It would be better if it were in their own home to prevent any crankiness. Since North is still comatose, they use one of his snow globes to transport the children home, and tell Jack to let him know that they'll return it later.

xoXox

"You know, we never did exchange our own gifts." Aster mumbles as Fever finishes putting the boys to bed. She smiles at him and follows him out of the room to head to their section of the burrow. "Can I give you mine now?"

"Sure. Give me a few minutes?" She smirks at his puzzled expression, and then he just shakes his head and goes ahead of her into their room. Aster glances over his shoulder as she disappears, and just goes to the corner of the closet where he'd hid her present. He pulls out the box and smiles down at it, moving to sit on the bed and wait for Fever to return. He had no idea what to expect from her, but he could guess where it would lead if she needed preparation time. She doesn't take long though, and materializes right on the bed next to him with an anticipatory smile and hiding something behind her back.

"Do you want to go first, or should I?"

"Me first, because I didn't get a chance to wrap them too well." He laughs, knowing her ineptitude when it came to wrapping presents. However, she pulls the two objects from behind her back and they have nice bright red bows on them. He sets down the box and his brow furrows in confusion as he takes them from her. "I don't know if yours have any magical powers that I can't replicate, but I figured these would be nice anyway." Her voice is shy now, but he smiles at the sight of two new vambrances made of quality leather and engraved beautifully.

"Did the cherubs make these?" Aster asks, and immediately tries one of them on, surprised when it fits just as well as his previous ones from his village.

"No, I did. Are they okay?"

"They're great. Thank you, Fever." He grins up at her, and she finally smiles, watching him move his arms easily. Then he laughs. "I have to admit that I was expecting something a little more…"

"Perverted?" Aster laughs even harder at her tone and shrugs. Honestly, he had, but he was still very happy with this gift. It showed that she knew him, and the fact that she had put her own hard work into them made them even more special. "That part comes later. What did you get me?" He smirks at her childlike enthusiasm, and she shifts excitedly on the bed as he reaches for the box wrapped neatly in shiny green paper with a red bow on top. She tears right into it, moving aside the tissue paper within and pauses when she reaches the gift, her lips parting slightly in surprise. "Oh…"

Fever carefully removes the filmy material from the box, holding it up and raising an eyebrow while Aster just shrugs.

"Okay, so it's kind of a gift for me, too."

"No kidding." She holds the nightgown to her front, admiring the red silk against her skin. There are matching panties at the bottom of the box, and she pulls them out as well. "I feel as though I should be angry about that."

"But you're not?"

"Hmm." She mumbles, not quite a yes or no, and immediately takes off her tank top and shorts to change into the nightgown. Aster notices that she intentionally leaves the underwear off, and she smiles at him, smoothing her hands down her sides. "So?"

"Beautiful. I really didn't know what to get you, but I know you love silk."

"I do. Thank you." She smiles at him, and then glances over her shoulder. He watches her hips sway as she walks away from him, and he is going to ask where she's going when she bends over near her side of the bed, making him speechless, and then she rises again with something in her hand. She dangles it above her head teasingly, and he laughs when he recognizes the sprig of mistletoe. "So is drinking the only Christmas tradition you'll participate in? Or am I destined to stand under the mistletoe alone?"

"I suppose I can put aside my resentment for a night." He stands and walks over to her, ignoring her smirk, and lowers his mouth to hers, kissing her slowly. Her arms circle around his neck and her fingers crush the mistletoe as his tongue breaks the seam of her lips, his paws stroking her lower back.

"Merry Christmas, Aster." She whispers against his lips, and he responds without words, making her head swim and her body ache.

The mistletoe lies forgotten on the ground for the rest of the night, and even when dawn breaks, he finds that he would gladly celebrate Christmas every day of the year if it would conclude in such a way with those he loved.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Ugh this one was super hard to write. I'm still not entirely pleased with it, but whatever. It's more of just a filler chapter anyway. I hope you guys like it. Review please!

Also, in celebration of Hump Day, I've posted a one-shot. It has nothing to do with BBB but is just an idea I've had floating around in my head for a while. It's called "Underappreciated," and is basically just Bunny smut with an illusion of a plot. So… yeah. Check it out!


	15. protectors

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 15:

"Maybe we should try to teach the kids how to swim."

The idea developed when Aster had to pull a panicked Darcy out of the river. She had gotten too consumed in their game of tag and hadn't watched where she was running, resulting in her slipping down one of the many hills and into the single fresh water river in the Warren. One minute they were watching the triplets chase each other, and the next they were out of their sight and there was vigorous splashing and screaming. It was no mystery what had happened and Aster had instantly jumped into the river and gotten Darcy out before she could swallow too much water.

The little Pooka coughs and sputters, her eyes wide in terror. Aster gently puts her in Fever's outstretched arms as she recovers, and her mother stares down at her with no little amount of concern.

"You're okay. It's alright." She whispers comfortingly. Aster glances down at Logan and Cooper who are watching with matching frightened expressions, and he frowns at Fever, who hugs a trembling Darcy to her chest.

"We were just playing. We didn't mean to…" Cooper begins, his voice quivering.

"Accidents happen. We should have been watching you more carefully." Aster says, and Fever nods as Darcy continues to whimper. "We should have let them play further away from the river."

"There's too much in the Warren that's not kid friendly. We can't child-proof it all, Aster." Fever whispers. It only makes him feel worse, but her words are the truth. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Darcy nods and sniffles, her eyes still watering from fear.

"I don't want to play anymore."

"You don't have to. That's enough excitement for one day."

"It's dinnertime anyway." Aster says, and he takes the boy's hands to walk them back to the burrow. Everyone is quiet, chilled to the bone by the idea that they could have lost Darcy to the place that was supposed to be such a comfortable home for them all.

Dinner goes over the same way; filled with the absence of conversation, and Aster watches Fever stare at her plate. She doesn't even bother pretending to eat. She just sits there. He nudges her foot with his under the table and she jumps out of her thoughts, looking up at him. He doesn't say anything, but she knows that he is inquiring about her welfare. She just shakes her head and looks at the kids who appear to be done eating.

"Are you guys ready for bed?"

"Yeah."

"Come on then." When she stands and begins to usher them to their bedrooms, Aster grasps her hand in an attempt to make her feel better. "I'll be in bed in a minute." He nods and watches her take the three children down the hallway before heading to bed himself.

xoXox

"Mommy?" Fever pauses in the act of pulling the blankets to Darcy's chin and looks at her. The little girl's eyes are still red from her ordeal and every now and then she lets out a small cough. "You look sad."

"I _am_ sad." Her mother replies, running her hand over her fuzzy head. There was really no point in lying to her anyway. "We let you get hurt today. I'm sorry you were so scared."

"It was really scary." Darcy whispers. "But Logan and Cooper were scared too." Fever has to crack a smile at that. She should have known that Darcy would never allow her own fear to be singled out. Her brothers had had a bit of trouble falling asleep, but once they were assured that they did nothing wrong and that she was okay, they relaxed enough to drift off.

"They were afraid for you just like your father and I."

"But they were more scared than me. I knew daddy would save me."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's what he does. He saves kids, right?" Fever purses her lips and considers it. It wouldn't necessarily be a lie. He had saved Jamie and his friends from Pitch, and he had indeed saved his own daughter. But along with that, he saved children from the philosophies of impossibility. He gave them hope that guided them through their lives, and that was very significant in the eyes of both children and adults.

"Yes. He does." Fever kisses her on the forehead and smiles when Darcy cuddles into her pillows. She looks so at odds to how she was that morning, and it gives Fever hope that it will soon be but a distant memory. "Sweet dreams." She sends a mental request to Sandy to make it so, and hopes he feels it. The golden man seemed completely unable to resist giving his brightest dreams to their children, and they needed them now more than ever. Once Darcy falls asleep, Fever goes to her bedroom to talk to Aster. She knew he was worried about her, but really she had just been considering something that she wanted to ask him about.

He is sitting on the bed waiting for her when she enters the room, and she smiles at him to make sure he knows she's okay.

"You seemed so far away at dinner." He says, and she nods.

"I was." She sits next to him and crosses her legs, resting her elbows on her knees. "I think we should do something about what happened today."

"You've already said that we can't possibly child-proof everything. There are rocks and hills and-"

"That's not what I mean." Fever interrupts him with a wave of her hand. "All three of them have told me they're afraid of water now. They have to take a bath sometime." Aster's eyes widen even though he shouldn't be that surprised. Seeing their sister fall into the water and be unable to help must have been traumatizing for the boys, and there was no doubt that Darcy wouldn't want to go back in any time soon. "But that's not even the point. Maybe we should try to teach the kids how to swim."

"How are we supposed to do that? If they're afraid-"

"I know." Fever mutters, her brow furrowing in frustration. "But we can't just let them harbor this fear. It will ruin them. If we can show them that they can swim, then maybe it will help them not only get over what happened today, but it will empower them and they can add swimming to their list of fun activities." When Aster just continues to stare dubiously at her, she frowns. "Pooka _can _swim, right?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, there's nothing biological keeping us from doing so. But I just don't see how we're going to get them to agree to it."

"We can start with reassurance. We'll both be there and we can show them that it can be done."

"I don't know." He was not only unsure if they would succeed, but he couldn't bear to see the fear on their children's faces if they confront the water again. He didn't want to force them to do it if they weren't ready.

"Aster." Fever takes his paw in hers, obviously sensing where his thoughts have drifted. "We won't do it tomorrow, or even this week. We can wait a little while until they are okay with it. But I think it's necessary. It's not like we can drain the rivers." Her absurd statement makes him laugh, and he is thankful for it.

"No we can't."

"So?" He sighs and nods, squeezing her hand.

"We'll try in a month or so."

xoXox

"No!" Darcy screams, her nails digging into Fever's skin and making her cringe. The little Pooka squirms in her mother's arms and kicks her feet out, desperately trying to convey that she was sure as hell _not_ going back into the river.

"Honey, calm down."

"I don't want to go in! I don't!" Tears begin to leak from Darcy's eyes, breaking their hearts, and Fever looks to Aster for help. They had waited the month and thought maybe it would be easier, but obviously they had been wrong. When they had brought up the subject of learning how to swim, the kids were somewhat reluctant. Now, only feet away from the river, they were absolutely terrified and refusing to comply. Darcy puts her arms around Fever's neck and locks her paws together, shaking her head.

"We won't let you go under like last time. We promise." Aster says, rubbing her back comfortingly. "We'll be right here. Mom won't even let you go if you don't want her to." Fever nods in agreement, but it still doesn't help. "What if I go first?" Without waiting for a response, he jumps into the river, splashing them enough to at least bring out outraged laughter from them all. Cooper and Logan run to hide behind their mother's legs and shake from head to toe, trying to get the moisture out of their fur.

Aster emerges and treads water in the deeper section where Darcy had fallen in. There were much shallower areas where they had planned on teaching the kids, but this was meant to show them that while there was a need to be careful, they could eventually swim in deeper water once they became more skilled.

"See? Daddy can do it." Fever says, and Darcy peeks out of her neck long enough to see him dip back under and do a couple of laps. "He's been swimming for a long time, but he's not afraid anymore."

"But he's like a superhero." Logan says with a shake of his head. "We can't do that."

"Yes you can. With practice." She clarifies. Aster rises once again and smiles at them.

"It's fun. Come on, we promise nothing bad will happen." That is a promise that both of them take seriously, and when Darcy doesn't scream in protest, Fever slowly walks to the bank of the river where the water is only knee deep.

"Are you okay?" She asks, and Darcy nods even though she has become tense again. "Don't worry. I've got you." Aster moves toward them and picks Cooper up to bring him down as well, gesturing for Logan to sit down and wait. Knee deep for them was nothing, but it would be almost to the children's heads if they were to jump in themselves. Fever sits down on the soft ground carefully, keeping her hold on her daughter. "Still okay?" She reaches out a hand to gather some water and gently splashes some on Darcy's legs, showing her that there was nothing to be afraid of.

"But that's only a little bit." She says logically, and Fever laughs.

"True. Do you want to try to go in halfway?" Darcy nods bravely and unlatches her arms, letting Fever turn her around. "Alright, I'm still going to hold onto you." She dips Darcy into her stomach and lets her kick out her feet, which results in Aster being splashed significantly.

"Ah! Hey!" He grins when Darcy giggles in response, and kicks harder, soaking her father and Cooper, who splashes in retaliation.

"No fair!" Logan cries out, and he frowns at being left out of the sudden fun. "I want to play too!" His outburst makes Aster grin at Fever, and they breathe out a sigh of relief at having the mood change so easily. Logan even leans over the bank to try to hit the water with his paw, and Fever laughs.

"Just let me finish helping your sister, and then it's your turn." She says, and looks down at Darcy who glances up curiously. "I'm going to keep holding onto you, but I want you to wave your arms. Can you do that?"

"Like this?" She smiles and moves her arms in circles, and Fever corrects her until she is doing a simple stroke and kicking her legs rapidly.

"Good. Now keep doing that. I'm going to lay you in the water, but I won't let you go. Okay?" She keeps Darcy above the water so it doesn't go over her head, but allows her to feel the motions of swimming with the water lapping around her.

"I'm doing it! I'm swimming! Let me go!" Darcy says, and Fever bites her lip for a moment, torn. Darcy was doing well, but she didn't want to push it.

"Let her float first." Aster speaks up, and she looks up to see that he already has Cooper floating on his back and kicking his feet. Fever does the same, and soon both blonde Pooka are completely comfortable with being in the water. "Now you have to hold your breath when you're under the water, but you can swim and keep your head up too." Logan watches as his brother and sister learn how to swim, and Fever can see that he is itching to try. She glances at Aster and they both nod, warning the other two before they slowly take their hands away. Darcy and Cooper take to it well, and grin as they begin to doggy paddle away from their parents.

Fever lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and thanks Mother Nature for making Pooka capable swimmers.

"Now me! Now me!" Logan jumps up and down and stretches his arms out to Fever, not yet ready to jump into the lake.

"Okay, come here you."

Aster keeps an eye on the other two while she teaches him, and soon all three are comfortable enough to go into deeper water, even though their parents tell them they don't have to. Of course, being kids, they don't stay riveted to the new skill for too long, and soon they are out of the river and chasing each other among the flowers, coming up with a new plot to play "pretend." Their fear seems completely gone, and Fever grins at Aster, feeling that they'd dodged another roadblock of parenting.

He smiles at the delight in her expression, continuing to tread water lazily while she sits on the bank, swinging her legs slightly and making her toes skim the water. It makes his eyes travel down her body, and he hits a snag at her breasts. She had begun the swim lesson with a dry tank top, but the splashing that the children had done had caused it to become glued to her skin, and the temperature of the water…

Fever feels herself being watched and glances at Aster, smirking when she recognizes "the look." She shifts so she can reach the water easier and swings her leg out, splashing him right in the face.

"My eyes are up here." He glares at her and shoves a wave of water her way, but it doesn't reach her, and she laughs before kicking at him again, resulting in an even more impressive swell. "That's not-ack!" She holds her breath instinctively when he grabs her ankle and pulls her down, but he catches her before her head goes underwater. They had been hanging out near the deep area, and she lets out a short scream when he tosses her. It doesn't take long before they are in the middle of a water fight, and Aster laughs when she tries to kick at him underwater. He just dives and then rises with her above him, grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it, sheila." He smirks as she tries to get away, and then she throws her upper body forward and knocks him off balance, making them both fall into the water. She pushes down on his shoulders, but he kicks off of the ground and sends her scrambling backward again, slapping the water toward him in retaliation. She turns around and begins to swim away, but he promptly grabs her waist and drags her back, making waves around them. She gasps as she feels his paw squeeze her rear under the water, and when she spins around she can tell by his smirk that it wasn't an accident.

"You did that on purpose!" She kicks her feet and splashes him right in the face again, trying to be annoyed. All she gets is a laugh as she climbs out of the river, squeezing the water out of her clothes and hair. "Perverted little-" She screams when he grabs her again and falls backward, resulting in them collapsing into a pile. "Aster!" His fingers attack her sides, tickling her, and she laughs and slaps at his paws to get him to stop. When her defensive strategy fails, she resorts to flipping them over so she's on top of him and holding his arms down on the ground.

"Well if you wanted it that way, you should have just said so." He smirks up at her and she glares back, trying to keep from smiling.

"The children are still out here you-"

"What are you doing?" Logan chooses that moment to hop up to them, and Fever's cheeks burn as she tries to come up with an excuse. When the other two follow and watch them curiously, she decides to just go with the truth.

"Your daddy started a tickle fight and I was going to get revenge. Want to help?"

"Yeah!" The three Pooka immediately jump on top of them and begin jumping up and down, their lightweight bodies hardly a threat to Aster. Still, he pretends they weigh a hundred pounds and begs for mercy.

"No! Please! You're too strong!" He cringes dramatically, making them laugh.

"Get him! He's no match for us!"

"We're just like the Guardians! And he's Pitch!" Cooper yells, and they begin an entirely new game, running around and throwing imaginary boomerangs at their "enemy."

By the time the day is finished, Fever and Aster's hope for clearing all fear from the triplets' memories becomes reality, and trepidation is replaced by fun and love. Bedtime forces them back out of the River, and they begin to shiver when the cold gets to them. Fever carries Cooper into the burrow wrapped in a blanket and Aster holds the other two wearing similar fashions. Aster jokes that they no longer have to worry about how they'll get clean, and Fever is just happy that they are able to cross two more roadblock off of their parenting list. Not only had they been able to empower their children and teach them a skill that could make their lives safer, but they had also come up with a new activity that they enjoyed. Seeing the delight on their faces as they played together made it completely worth the discomfort of staying in wet clothes for several hours. They could only imagine what would happen when the kids became interested in even more dangerous hobbies.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **We're halfway there! I can't believe it. Next is the kids' first trip to Cyprus and a flashback about Aster's first crush. Review please!


	16. their other home

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Wheeeee! We're halfway to my dream number of reviews! I'm so excited! Please continue to leave me a comment no matter how small! I know I asked for sixty, but if we get to 100 then… I don't know, I'll write something really special for you guys. Let me know if you can think of something!

Chapter 16:

Seven years old proved to be an age of many accomplishments for the triplets. They had mastered the art of keeping up conversations, a feat which both Aster and Fever enjoyed, but at the same time they wished their endurance for such a thing was more subdued. It seemed like sometimes the children would talk nonstop about every little thing that had happened, was presently happening, and would happen in their day. Today was one of those days.

Fever smiles indulgently as Darcy talks about how she had been arguing with her brothers about their Uncle Val.

"And Cooper says that there's no way he can be that old, but I told them that yes, he was, and then Logan didn't want to believe me either! But I know I'm right because North told us about how the first Spirits were born, and that Uncle Val was one of them. So _then _we started talking about those cards that kids give on his holiday! They all have little babies on them, but they have wings!" Fever nods in agreement, and this seems to only make Darcy more animated. Her little ears fold backward and her bright green eyes get wide, her paws gesturing around her wildly. "And Logan said that they weren't real. He said that they were fake, but then I thought, everyone thinks elves aren't real! And they are! Remember, we saw them in North's workshop! They brought us cookies!"

"Yes they did." Fever laughs, as if she could forget. The triplets had almost caused that poor man's home to shut down. Fever pays attention again when she notices that Darcy has continued.

"Anyway, they think that the little winged babies are fake. Are they?" She stares at her mother as if begging to be proven right, and Fever laughs.

"Of course they are. They're called cherubs."

"I knew it!" Darcy shouts, grinning. "What _are_ they?"

"I'm surprised Val didn't tell you about them before. They help us back home in Cyprus. They make my swords and knives and Val's arrows and bows. They're the embodiments of all things sweet and loving, with a little mischief thrown in. But they are loving enough that they can help put the energy we use into our weapons."

"Wow." Darcy mutters, fascinated. "Can we see them?"

"Um…" Fever wonders to herself if it would even be possible to bring any of them to the Warren. They most likely wouldn't respond well, as they had never left Cyprus before. It would make more sense for them to go back to her home. However, she had been putting it off because she wasn't sure how teleportation would affect the children. She didn't even know if _they _could do it, as she hadn't wanted them to try yet. They seemed to have Aster's affinity for nature, and they suspected that as Pooka, they could eventually make their own tunnels to travel, so she didn't know if they'd be able to teleport or not. She hoped so, as she wanted them to be able to visit Cyprus in the future, but at the moment she just wasn't sure.

"Please?" Darcy asks when the silence stretches on too long for her liking.

"Well, we'd have to go to Cyprus."

"Oh! Can we? I want to go!" She declares, jumping up from her seated position on the grass.

"I suppose you're old enough to give teleportation a shot." Fever says, but thinks to herself, _The worst that could happen is that they throw up. _She keeps the thought to herself and she and Darcy walk around the Warren to find the boys.

xoXox

Logan's brow furrows in concentration as he holds the seed in his clenched paw. He tries to embed the energy his father had into the plant to give it life, but it seemed as if he just didn't have the ability. Cooper hadn't been interested in giving it a try, so he was off chasing butterflies, building his speed. Aster keeps an ear out for both of them as he continues to help the plants in the Warren grow and stay healthy so they will produce good eggs in time for Easter. Logan lets out a frustrated sigh and he smiles at him over his shoulder.

"Don't worry. It will take time to learn, but you can do it."

"How do you know?"

"Because you have the same connection to the earth that I do. I can feel it." Aster smiles, and Logan manages one of his own before watching Cooper make a fool out of himself, snapping his teeth at the butterflies that flutter around his head. He trips over his feet and falls, and Logan laughs, earning a glare from the blonde Pooka.

"What are you laughing at?" Cooper snaps, and Aster sighs as he senses the beginning of an argument. Logan is instantly on guard and it looks as if the two may pounce at any moment.

"Hey, knock it off." He says before it can escalate.

"He started it!"

"Oh no, what happened now?" Aster's ears perk up at Fever's voice and he smiles at the sight of her, Darcy skipping at her side.

"I fell down and Logan laughed at me." Cooper's lower lip pouts out and Aster holds in his own laugh. He never could resist trying to gain sympathy from his mother, and it usually worked; a fact that often irritated everyone. Aster couldn't remember the last time _he_ had received true sympathy from her, and the other children never let Cooper forget that he was an attention hog.

"Are you okay?" She asks, running her hand over his ear affectionately.

"Yeah." Cooper mumbles, still looking upset, and Aster snorts, making her glare at him.

"He's faking it! He didn't fall that hard!" Logan begs for justice, and Aster shrugs to stay out of the now three-sided argument.

"Well at any rate, you shouldn't laugh at him. And Cooper, you shouldn't be so quick to assault your brother."

"What's assault?" Cooper asks with a confused expression.

"Don't hit him." She says shortly, and the Pooka goes back to pouting as Logan sticks his tongue out at him.

"Hey! Guess what? Those little babies are real!" Darcy interrupts with a grin, and Aster turns to Fever questioningly.

"The cherubs."

"Ah."

"Yeah, the cherubs!" Darcy says to her brothers, putting her paws on her hips. "They're real, and they're in Mommy and Uncle Val's home. She says we can go."

"Really?" The boy's eyes widen at the idea, and while the triplets begin to talk about what it will be like and whether or not the cherubs will look like they did on the cards, Fever moves closer to Aster.

"I figure the worst that could happen is that they get sick. They're older now, so they should be able to handle the trip." She says quietly. "What do you think?"

"Sure. It's about time they saw their other home." He agrees, and she smiles at him.

"Can we go now?" Cooper asks.

"I don't see why not." Fever says, and she reaches out her hand to Aster, who immediately takes it and squeezes reassuringly. "Val told you all how we get there right?"

"Porting!"

"Teleporting, right. So we have to hold hands really tightly. I mean it, don't let go until I say so, okay?" At that moment she realizes that worst things could happen that a little motion sickness. They could very well be lost in another dimension during the trip. She swallows roughly and considers backing out, but Aster, seemingly feeling her inner struggle, just moves closer to her and whispers in her ear that all would be well. The triplets lock paws and Cooper and Logan each take their parents' hand so they all create a circle. "Alright. Don't let go. Three, two, one."

At the end of the countdown she says a prayer and teleports them all to Cyprus, and when their feet hit the cobblestone walkways she instantly turns to the children to see if they're okay. Her concern is not needed though, because all three of them are just staring around them in awe, no sign of agitation or sickness at all. Aster smiles at her and she just rolls her eyes, knowing that he was internally teasing her for being so worried, but she couldn't help it.

"Whoa! A flying baby!" Logan yells, pointing up into the air further ahead of them. A cherub pauses in its flight and turns curiously, watching the family. "I knew they were real!"

"Oh please!" Darcy scoffs, rolling her eyes. Aster laughs as he recognizes how much she looks like her mother with that one action. "You didn't believe me. I told _you!"_

"Where is it going?" Cooper asks with a frown as the cherub quickly flies away.

"Probably to the armory. Come on, we'll show you around." Fever says, and proceeds to give them a tour of their second home.

They take everything in stride, admiring the architecture and the gardens just as their father had. Their favorite part of the tour was, of course, seeing the cherubs, which they instantly wanted to study and play with. But when they enter the armory and see all of the weapons, that is when the next argument starts so quickly after the last had been ended. Darcy asks Fever to lift her up so she can see the swords, and when Fever does so Cooper makes a comment about girls not being able to have swords.

"Why not?"

"Because they're _girls!" _He says with an expression that tells Aster he was a fool for asking.

"Well, what do you think I am?" Fever asks with a smirk, but Aster knows that she is debating how to handle this newest slight against her gender. She had put up with enough doubt that she could defend herself, and there was no way she would allow her own children to think she was unable to do so just because she was a woman.

"Um… a girl?" Logan asks, and Aster bites his lip to hold in a laugh.

"That's right. And I have a sword. See?" She turns around, still with Darcy in her arms, and shows them the large blade strapped across her back.

"Well yeah, but you don't use it." Cooper says, and now Fever outright laughs.

"I haven't needed to in a while, but I've been using a sword for a long time, sweetheart."

"And she's very good at it." Aster interjects, and she throws him a grateful smile for the backup.

"No." Cooper says with disbelief, and his dark brown eyes focus on his mother with a new light.

"That's right. I've seen her in action, and trust me. She's very strong and can be very dangerous if threatened. She protected the mortals from the most evil Spirit who ever existed."

"No way." Even Darcy grins up at her, and then she squirms with excitement. "Can we see you use it?"

"Sure." She sets Darcy down and Aster immediately gestures for the triplets to move closer to him as Fever removes her sword from its sheath. "Stay near your father, okay?" When they all nod obediently, she takes her usual defensive stance and then begins to swing the sword around her body in her practiced arcs, slaying an imaginary enemy.

"Cool!"

"I want one!"

"Me too!"

"Maybe when you're older." Fever laughs, sheathing her sword. "You all can have your own ways to protect yourselves, but you must use them _only_ to protect yourself and those you love. You should never use them out of anger or revenge. Okay?"

Aster averts his eyes uncomfortably at the reminder of how and why she had taken Luke on by herself. Revenge had been one of her biggest motivators, and it still bothered her to this day. She hated feeling like a monster, like one of his leeches that he used to take over the humans and spread his evil. It was no question why she didn't want her children growing up with the same thoughts in their minds and hearts.

"Did you two protect each other?" Logan asks, and at their puzzled expressions he clarifies. "Because you love each other." Fever nearly melts at his words and blushes, and Aster just smiles and wraps his arm around her waist.

"Of course." He says, and kisses her cheek, making the children instantly groan and turn away in disgust. Fever laughs at their reaction and flicks Aster's tail playfully, making him jump but grin all the same. Before she is tempted, she looks back to the children and suggests that they see the gardens. Visiting the armory had reminded her of something she and Aster still had to discuss.

xoXox

"So do you really think they should have weapons?"

"I don't want them to, honestly. The idea makes me uneasy." Fever says with a shrug. "But we can't leave them defenseless. We don't know what could happen in the future, and we also don't know if they'll gain their own abilities as Spirits. Hell, we don't know if they're Spirits at all." Aster nods in agreement and glances at the children as they enjoy the courtyard, playing in the fountain and hopping on the large cobblestones in a form of hopscotch.

"They are bound to be warriors, that much is clear." Fever smirks at him and he laughs, but then shakes his head. "I don't know, baby doll. I think it's a good idea to at least teach them _something. _All jokes aside, it would seem that they're destined for something. Mother Nature chose you after all, she must have had some idea for their future."

"Yeah…" She mutters.

"I'm serious." Aster says, and she turns back to him. "Darcy has your keen eye and obviously wants to learn as much about the world as she can. She has spirit, whether or not she _is_ a Spirit makes no difference. She is bound to do something great. And the boys have more courage than you and I put together. Their fierceness will obviously come in handy later in their lives."

"And if they're anything like their father, their good looks." Fever smirks at him, and he returns it with a wink.

"And if Darcy's anything like her mother, then she'll be breaking hearts wherever she goes." At that thought his smile drops and his eyes widen in horror. "Oh, no. No, that's not going to happen."

"What?" Fever laughs, and Aster just shakes his head.

"No, she's not going to be allowed to date. Ever."

"Well that's not going to be easy. She's going to be an adult eventually, you know." Fever points out, and Aster's eyes glaze over as if he's contemplating ways to keep her from aging to a proper dating age. "Aster, you're not going to be able to stop her from finding someone."

"Says you." He mutters, and glances back at the little blonde Pooka grinning and laughing with her brothers. "She could get hurt."

"Of course she can. We all eventually have our hearts broken. It's a part of life." Fever says. "The only thing we can do is to be there for her when it happens. It could happen to any of them."

"Well I don't want it to."

"Neither do I. But you can't lock them up in the burrow to keep it from happening." Fever leans forward and puts her hand on his cheek, turning his head so he looks back at her. "Trust me, when it comes to love, I know best." She smirks then, and sits back eyeing him closely. "Besides, I'm sure you've had a crush or two." His eyes widen and he looks away from her, and she grins. "I knew it! Who?" She couldn't deny that along with her curiosity there was a bit of jealousy, even though she knew it was silly. Aster shifts uncomfortably and she sighs. "Thumper, we've both been alive for far too long to not be romantically involved with someone. I'm not going to judge you, I'm just curious." He chuckles at her logic and sighs.

"I had my first crush when I was around twelve years old." She grins and he blushes underneath his fur, unable to believe he was telling her this. "She was one of the few girls I actually got along with in my village."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fever can't help but ask.

"It means that some of them were downright rude." He frowns as he remembers the young Pooka who had been spoiled and never gave him the time of day. The girl he had felt romantic feelings for had been one of the sweet ones, and at the time he was so certain they would be together forever. "Her name was Gem…"

_Aster's ears flatten as he anxiously watches her from behind one of the grassy hills. He couldn't tell what they were doing, but she was smiling, so that was a good sign. If she was in a good mood then maybe she would be more willing to listen to him. His whiskers twitch nervously as he considers what he is about to do, and he takes a deep breath before hopping out from behind his shield and heading toward the group of girls. When he gets close enough one of her friends sees him and looks up curiously, making him swallow roughly._

"_Um, hi Gem." He works hard not to stutter the words, and Gem turns to face him with her usual friendly smile. Oh how he wished she would look at him like his mother did his father. He didn't know much about love yet, but he knew that he felt a lot for her, and he desperately wanted her to return his feelings. "I uh… I…" She smiles and he wants to just run away as he feels his cheeks warm in embarrassment, and then she turns back to her friends._

"_Excuse me for a minute, guys." She stands and smiles at Aster, and his heart nearly pounds out of his chest as the other girls move away from the two, whispering amongst themselves. "Hi, Aster."_

"_Hi. Um…" He just shuts his mouth before he says anything else stupid and puts his paw out between them, showing her the seed resting in his palm. "I wanted to give you something."_

"_A seed?"_

"_No. No, I wanted to show you…" He closes his palm again and focuses on the little seed, trying to make it grow and blossom into a beautiful flower worthy of the girl in front of him. Her eyes just rest on his paw patiently, and her smile encourages him to continue trying. However, even after a minute or so, he opens his fingers only to see the seed has done nothing but sprout a tiny bit of green. "Oh." He frowns and is going to try again when Gem giggles, and he turns humiliated eyes to her, but she continues to smile indulgingly._

"_I'm sure it's very beautiful on the inside."_

"_I wanted it to be as beautiful as you are." He says, and watches happily as her jaw drops at the compliment._

"_Thank you." She giggles again and her hands clasp together as they always did when she was nervous. "I think you're really cute too." His hearts pounds even harder and he can't stop the goofy smile from growing on his face._

"_Gem, I really like you, and um… I wanted to ask you, if…" He takes another deep breath and then just lets it all out. "W-will you be my girlfriend?"_

"_Sure." She mumbles shyly, and nods. She smiles and takes the seed with the sad little sprout from his paw, making him laugh, and she holds it close to her. He had been so happy that day, and the time they had spent together after that. They were too young to know what having a true soul mate was like, but at that time in their lives they were the happiest young "couple" in the village._

"Awwww, that's so sweet." Fever grins and Aster rolls his eyes. She was such a romantic sometimes that it was no question why she was chosen to work with Val. They both loved seeing affection blossom and grow. "So what happened?"

"The same thing that happens to every twelve year old who thinks they're in love." He says, but still smiles. "We found out that we just didn't know how to be together. Nothing changed really other than we were hanging out more and without our friends. We were just too young to even know what dating was. And when we got a little bit older we realized that we just didn't have enough in common. We even kissed once and it was the weirdest, most awkward moment of my life." Fever laughs at that and Aster joins in, remembering. He was pretty sure that was when he and Gem realized they just weren't going to work out.

"And just wait, soon Darcy will be kissing boys who bring _her _flowers."

"Don't even joke, baby doll."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Okay so this story was originally only supposed to be about 17 or 18 chapters, but the plot has obviously taken off at a run. I am writing the last chapter right now and I am so crazy excited to get to it! Next up, the kids visit Mother Nature and Aster gets himself put in the doghouse. Review please!


	17. the dog house

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 17:

Fever wasn't one to ever break promises, and so when she told Mother Nature that she would bring the children to see her, she meant it. Now that they were all okay with teleportation, she had the chance to make good on that promise. The children were excited to meet her, just as they had been excited to see their second home. However, Aster wasn't so much on the same page.

"I just don't know."

"Why not? I told you, she's perfectly fine. Great, actually. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met." He shrugs, and she pauses in the act of pulling on her boots to take in the pout on his face. She looks into his eyes and sees something that is rarely there; insecurity. "Aster, are you… are you _jealous_ of her?"

"No."

"You _are!"_ Her eyes widen at the idea, and then it makes perfect sense. While he was the one who brought Spring to the world, she basically created him in her image. She ruled over all nature, and it was no doubt that her infinite power made him feel second best, just like in his constant ego battle with North. And the fact that she was the real reason that they were able to have their children must make him feel emasculated. She rolls her eyes and finishes getting dressed, trying to figure out how to keep this new issue from causing a problem with the Great Mother. "Aster, you're going to have to get over _that._ She's basically their godmother. You can't hate her."

"Many people hate their in-laws." She glares at him and he shrugs, refusing to be intimidated. "I just don't see why I need to go too."

"Because you have to." He gives her an incredulous look, clearly feeling that her argument held no logic, which it really didn't. She ignores him and pokes him in the chest as she passes him on her way down the tunnel to the children's rooms. He follows her, still grumbling.

"I don't actually _have_ to." She stops in her tracks, making him nearly walk into her back, and she turns around with that sly look that he had become wary of. It usually didn't bode well for him.

"You do if you want to get any later." His eyes narrow and he tries to figure out if she's bluffing. "You can spend the next month in the dog house for all I care. A little time with your hand may adjust your attitude." She turns sharply and begins to walk again, and he gapes after her before jogging slightly to catch up.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. I won't have you hurting Mother Nature's feelings, or worse, offending her. I'm not asking that you be her best friend. But you will be polite."

"Having the kids really _has _turned you into a mother." Her tone is completely maternal and scolding, and it makes him pout again. "You're seriously blackmailing me?"

"Well technically I'm withholding sex in order to get you to do what I want." She says cheekily over her shoulder, and he speeds up and grasps her around the waist, placing his face in the crook of her neck. She stops walking and lets out an annoyed sound, but he feels her pulse pick up under his lips.

"Do you really want to do that, baby doll?" She shivers and turns around, and he smirks, seeing her resolve crumbling, but just as her hands move to rest on his shoulders, she pushes him away with a superior look, and just continues on to Darcy's room. "Crikey, seriously?"

"Completely."

"What if I'm good?" He doesn't want to crack, but the alternative doesn't sound any better, so he just ignores her smug smile.

"Then you will be rewarded comparably." She knocks on the wooden door they had built on each opening for privacy and Darcy instantly opens it with a smile.

"Are you ready, sweetie?"

"Yes! Look, I made her a necklace out of some flowers by the river!" She raises a brightly colored wreath and Fever gasps theatrically.

"That was so _nice_ of you." Aster rolls his eyes at her emphasis, knowing it was directed at him as an example. "I'm sure she'll love it!"

"Come on, let's get this over with." He jumps as she pinches his arm out of Darcy's eyesight, and hurries to gather the boys so they can go.

xoXox

Thankfully the children once again showed no sign of sickness from teleporting to Mount Hood. They wait excitedly for Mother Nature to make her appearance, and when she does, their response is explosive. They wonder at the vines, leaves, and flowers covering her body, and can't help but poke at them. She merely crouches down gracefully and welcomes their curiosity as the gracious and loving woman that she is. Darcy instantly runs up to her and stares in awe, her little paws clutching the necklace she had made.

"You're so pretty!"

"Why thank you. And what is your name?"

"Darcy!"

"It's very nice to meet you Darcy. I've been wanting to for so long. You're growing up into such a beautiful little girl." The Pooka smiles shyly at the compliment and mumbles a "thank you" before raising the necklace.

"I made this for you."

"Oh, thank you!" Mother Nature seems truly touched, and she instantly puts the garland around her neck, giving Darcy a kiss on the forehead. "You're such a sweet little thing. And who are you two?" She turns to the boys, who are still quiet, but perk up once they realize she is speaking to them.

"I'm Logan."

"Cooper."

"Hello to you too. I can tell you both are going to grow into strong young men, aren't you?" They preen under her statement and she smiles at them as well before Fever and Aster step forward. "Greetings, Bunny."

"Hi." Fever nudges him not so subtly, but he just continues to stand there.

"It's great to see you again, Mother Nature."

"And you too, Fever. Thank you so much for bringing your children. I've been very curious, and I can see that they are happy. I made a good choice with you." Fever smiles and nods gratefully, and then Mother Nature walks over to Aster and begins to circle him, her eyes raking up and down his form. He shifts uncomfortably, looking to Fever for help, but she just raises an eyebrow, daring him to say anything. "I haven't really seen a Pooka up close before. You are quite a specimen, aren't you?"

"I am not a thing. I am a person." He bites out, and Mother Nature smirks in amusement, the first wry expression Fever had ever seen on the nymph's face.

"Very handsome, strong, and brazen as well." He blushes under his fur and Fever giggles behind her hand. "You two _do _suit. I can only imagine…"

"They love each other very much." Darcy says, and Mother Nature turns to smile at her, and if she noticed Aster moving away from her, she didn't bring attention to it. "They are always smiling at each other. And sometimes strange sounds come from their room."

"How about we see the rest of Mother Nature's home, hm?" Fever cuts in, trying to change the subject, and Mother Nature titters, grinning down at the little female Pooka.

"I am very glad to hear it. A soul mate is something to treasure."

"I want one."

"And in time, Darcy, you will have one." Fever and Aster instantly glance at each other, both desperately hoping that Mother Nature wasn't making reproductive plans for their daughter. Matchmaking was one thing, but...

"I don't want a soul mate." Logan says with a disgusted expression.

"Me either." Cooper crosses his arms across his chest

"And why not?" Mother Nature asks.

"Because one time I heard daddy say that sometimes women aren't worth the trouble." Aster's eyes widen as Logan continues to speak in a matter of fact tone, not realizing the gravity of his words. "He said they're good to have a naughty with, but most of the time they talk too much and-" Logan is cut off abruptly by Aster clapping a hand over his mouth, and he flinches at the fire in Fever's eyes, his ears flattening against his skull in fear.

"Oh, really?" Not hearing the venom in his mother's tone, Logan nods, and Mother Nature tuts at him, shaking her head.

"Oh, Bunny. You must always be careful of what you say around children." She says, and turns to Fever, who just continues to glare at Aster, looking absolutely livid. "I am sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." She says, and even though her face brightens with a smile, it might as well have been a bearing of teeth as it lacked true pleasantness. "Maybe we should get home."

"Oh, dear." Mother Nature mumbles, and walks over to the children to say her farewells. "It was lovely to meet you. I hope that you can visit again…" Her voice drifts off as Aster turns to Fever, who just raises an eyebrow, and he squirms under her unrelenting gaze. He tries to smile and that only seems to make her angrier.

"Look Fever, I didn't mean… I wasn't talking about _you._"

"Oh, so you were talking about other women."

"Yeah!"

"_Other _women you've 'had a naughty' with."

"Exactly!" He grins until he realizes what he just walked into, and he closes his eyes and wishes he could just keep his mouth shut. "No! Listen, I-"

"Shut up, rabbit." He winces, not finding her anger the least bit amusing at that moment. "How about this? I wouldn't want to bother you with my insistent talking as we women like to do, so you can stay _here _and make sure the children continue to have a good time. I will go work with Val for a few hours, you know, with couples who actually _enjoy _conversing with each other."

"Fever-"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Mother Nature interrupts him and grins, moving to hug Fever before she can leave. "I'll keep an eye on the little ones. Go on."

"Thank you. I'll see you later, guys!" She blows a kiss to the triplets, who all wave goodbye, oblivious of the tension between their parents. She gives Aster a stale smile as well before disappearing, and Mother Nature just ushers the children around to begin showing her the place she called home. As she passes Aster, he discreetly moves closer to her to whisper in her ear.

"Give me your honest opinion. How long am I going to pay for that?"

"At least two weeks. Good luck, Guardian."

xoXox

When Fever finally returns, it is just to say goodbye and thank Mother Nature and teleport the children home in time for bed. She barely says two words to Aster during dinner and bath time, and when she climbs into bed she makes a show of turning away from him and staying completely on her side. Aster lets out a frustrated breath, becoming fed up with her tantrum. He could understand why she was mad but she was beginning to act like a child.

"Fever, I'm sorry. Okay?"

"Hmph." He grabs her shoulder and makes her turn to look at him directly, and he pours all of his frustration and apology into his eyes.

"I really am. I said that when I was in a bad mood, obviously. You know I love to hear your voice, and talking to you is one of my greatest pleasures. Please, stop being mad at me."

"I am not only mad about what you said. I'm mad because you planted that little disrespectful seed in our sons' heads. I don't want them growing up like that, Aster."

"I know. It was stupid, and I'm sorry. I'll right that as soon as possible."

"You'd better."

"I will." He says firmly, and when she simply nods, he tries to move in for a light kiss, but she turns her face away with a scoff.

"Seriously? You're really going to try that?"

"All I wanted was to make you feel better, sheila!"

"I'll feel better after a good night's sleep and a little bit of distance, thank you." She pushes him away and turns back on her side, clearly intending to ignore him. Aster sighs again and lies on his back, taking the hint. They had only really fought a couple of times before, and both times Fever had demanded some quiet time between them. It was so funny how she had changed in their time together. Back when they were fighting Luke and had just met, they seemed to always be in each other's' faces. They always had something to say and the matches always got heated, and not in a god way. He remembers when she had nearly exploded after he downplayed her role as a Spirit and she had come right back at him with insults toward his own job. He had no doubt that if Val hadn't stopped her both times they had fought, she would have continued, her words as sharp as the blades she threatened to sink into his flesh.

He can't help but smile despite the hollow feeling in his gut. They had changed so much; no longer fighting with words and never with violence. They had begun to talk more since their relationship started, and even during his shedding cycles, the only result was slight blow outs that would be resolved after both meditated on it so neither would say something they would regret later. Even though she probably doesn't want him to, he brushes a hand on her shoulder lightly before trying to fall asleep.

Mother Nature was right. It was about two weeks before Fever let Aster out of the dog house. He had taken his punishment quietly, enduring the lack of affection on her part and talking to Cooper and Logan about how stupid he had been to say such a thing. That seemed to be the turning point in Fever's attitude, and when the three of them brought her flowers, apologizing, she couldn't stay mad at them for much longer. Of course, that didn't stop her and Darcy from coming to the consensus that boys were fools, and they couldn't say anything to dispute it.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I hate these short chapters, I feel like I'm cheating you guys. I hope this one at least gave you a laugh. Coming up next; Aster, Val, and Jack try to keep track of the kids during an impromptu field trip. Review please!

Also, in celebration of Halloween I'm posting a one-shot tomorrow. It's a PitchxOC (friendship) about a girl in an insane asylum. Fun stuff, right? Anyway, check it out if you like. I know you guys are Bunny fans so no pressure!


	18. kids' night out

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 18:

The triplets' preteen years proved to be even more difficult than childhood for everyone. The three of them were always fighting about something, their growing pains seemed to evolve into constant attitude that Fever and Aster had to deal with, and they had gained the ability to open tunnels whenever they pleased, which was all of the time. It wasn't rare that Aster would look around the Warren and see that they were gone, and he would have to track them down and bring them home before Fever found out. She was often topside doing her job, but he was terrified of the day she came home to find that all of her children were missing because they were bored and decided to run a marathon around the world.

He could tell that the work of being a parent was not what she expected, and that it was starting to wear down on her. They weren't misbehaving or being disrespectful, but their negative attitudes stemming from being unable to see the outside world was getting to them. They never disobeyed them and went to see the mortals without them, but Aster could tell they were just itching to see the world they had had to hear about for years and have never been able to experience.

Aster watches Fever enter the burrow with a frown, but when she sees him staring at her she tries to smile. It is close, but not entirely happy, and he just sighs and gestures for him to sit next to him.

"What's wrong?" He asks, and she just shrugs and kicks off her boots.

"Nothing, really. I just never expected it to be this hard, you know? I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I'm still getting used to it." She says, and he can tell that she's censoring her words for his benefit. "They want to get out. They're being more persistent, and Darcy basically just threatened me to bring Jack to their defense if I didn't let them go within the next week."

"That doesn't surprise me. He's always trying to get them to break the rules. And Darcy's stubborn, like you." Fever smirks at him and lies onto her back, breathing deeply and closing her eyes.

"I just don't know. I can only imagine the trouble they could get into, and I don't want to show them around while I'm working. That would just be too weird." Aster nods in agreement, thinking about how they could get it to work, and then he comes up with an idea and nudges her shoulder to get her attention.

"How about I take them?"

"What?" Her eyes snap open and she stares at him, unsure.

"Yeah. I'll take them up top and show them what they're missing. And you obviously need a night off. Do something with the girls."

"You can't take them on all by yourself. Two-man defense, remember?"

"It will be fine." Aster laughs at her reference. "If you really want me to, I'll get Val to help me. Maybe even Jack."

"Now I'm _really _worried." She mutters, sitting up.

"It's better than them going up there by themselves doing who knows what."

"Yeah. Still…"

"Trust me. It will be fine."

xoXox

"You did _what?" _Truth's eyes widen in disbelief, and Fever sighs as she repeats herself.

"I let Aster, Val, and Jack take the kids for the night. He wanted us to have some girl time."

"Oh, dear." She rolls her eyes at Tooth's response as well and then glares at them.

"They're not monsters, you guys. They just have a case of cabin fever."

"Exactly! They've been locked up for too long. Remember when Aster kept you in the Warren for those few months?"

"What about it?"

"Well, look what happened! You escaped and practically fell off of a roof."

"I did not-"

"Now picture three of you, all younger and with more energy being released into an amusement park." Fever pales at the comparison and wonders just how much trouble the kids could get into.

"Trust us, in an hour you'll receive a distress signal from Aster begging you to come and take them home."

xoXox

"Wow, they sure have grown, huh?" Jack laughs uneasily as he eyes the three pre-teens that are arguing about who gets the privilege of getting out of the tunnel first. Darcy glares at her brothers and demands that ladies are supposed to go first, and when Cooper asks why she gets the honor, she pounces on him, her paws landing brutally onto his head.

"Ah! Dad!"

"Darcy, get off of your brother."

"Did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, but-"

"Ahhhhhh, my ears!" Darcy yanks hard as Cooper tries to escape, pulling his head away from her grip. She thumps him good one last time before jumping off of his back and taking a few steps away before he can retaliate.

"I didn't sign up for this." Val says dryly with his arms crossed.

"Oh yes you did." Aster disagrees. "You agreed to this when you promised to protect your niece and nephews with your life when they were born. Besides, it's just a little trip. They'll be fine once they let out some of their pent up frustration."

"I'm really not sure about this." The Guardian of Fun says from the top of his staff, and then he gasps and rights himself when he's almost knocked over when Logan runs past him. "I do fun. I don't babysit."

"Well tonight you are." Aster says firmly. "Look, I just want to prove to Fever that I can do this, alright? Call it pride, but I can be a good father. And I'm looking out for her too. She needs this night to herself." Val and Jack stare at his pleading eyes for a few moments before they both release sighs of defeat, and they nod. "Thank you." He turns to the kids and clears his throat, and they instantly stop their horse playing and look at him. "We're ready to go. I'll let you open your own tunnels, but you have to listen to me and open them for the same coordinates. No joy rides, okay?"

"Yes."

"Uh huh."

"Sure." Aster's eyes narrow at their answers, not entirely sure that they mean them, and then he nods and opens his own tunnel. "Alright, let's go."

He gives them the coordinates to a small town in the Midwest, and they follow him as promised, each taking their own tunnel. He can hear their feet as they run though, and can't resist a proud smile. As soon as he surfaces, he sees Val and Jack materialize in front of him, the former having followed his heartbeat, and then three pairs of ears poke out from the ground, waving curiously. Logan is the first to take a real look, and his eyes widen as he takes in the view of a subdivision, the homes lit in the darkness. They are at the crest of a tall hill, surrounded by trees for cover. They still weren't sure if the kids would be visible, so Aster wanted to be safe and keep them hidden. He should have known that wouldn't fly.

"Whoa! Look at all of the houses!" Cooper pushes Logan out of the way and begins to hop down to them, but Aster quickly stops him before he gets too close.

"Hey, you have to be careful. Someone may see you."

"They don't see _you."_

"Yeah, well…" He didn't know what to say to that, and it didn't seem that anything was needed, because all three were running toward the small city, excitement in their eyes.

"No, wait!" Val runs after them as well and tries to catch them, but they are too fast, and soon they are all on a hunt for the triplets when they are overcome with excitement.

"Stop!"

"No way!"

"This is great!" Darcy uses her speed to escape Aster's paws, and soon she is lost in the darkness of the streets, making him curse. He looks around for her, but when he sees a tunnel close not far away, he knows they are in trouble.

"Shit. Val, can you feel them?"

"Yeah. They're still here, but they're moving so fast I can't get a signal. I'll have to wait until they settle down." The blonde man says, grimacing. "If we don't find them, you're telling Fever that it was all _your_ fault."

"We'll find them." Aster glares at him. "Just keep an eye out."

xoXox

Logan gapes at the cars that speed past him on the street, no one seeming to notice his presence. He frowns, somewhat disappointed, and then he smiles when he sees a group of friends walk down the street, laughing and talking. He follows behind them, unable to ignore such jovial company even when he isn't a part of it. While he had his brother and sister, he often wished he could have friends like that; people that weren't forced to stay around you but wanted to merely because they loved the kind of person you were.

He continues to hop around, using his tunnels to see different parts of the city. The night was still young, so not too many people were out, but those who were seemed like they were having a lot of fun. He hears footsteps behind him and looks over his shoulder before letting out a surprised shout. His father was right on his heels, that scary look on his face that told him consequences were coming.

"Get back here!" He opens a tunnel and continues to run, his only thought to continue to enjoy this newfound freedom, and escaping his enraged father.

xoXox

Darcy peeks into the window of a home, watching the inhabitants cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. She had heard of such things, but they never watched any in the Warren or in Cyprus. Neither place even had a television. She often wondered if they did, if she wouldn't get bored so easily. _But I want to see the world through my own eyes, not a screen. _She sighs and moves down from the window, walking away from the house. Seeing the outside world was only making her own life seem even more mundane and uneventful. And thanks to Cooper and Logan, this would most likely be the last trip they were allowed to take.

"Hey." She jumps out of her thoughts and looks above her to see Jack lingering on the branch of a tree. "You know your father's looking for you." Darcy sighs and glares ahead of her as she continues to walk in between the houses in the neighborhood.

"Whatever." She wasn't worried about him or Jack. Neither could catch her as she was the fastest in the family, and never had Jack showed an interest in making her obey her father's rules. He _was _the Guardian of Fun, after all. "I don't want to go home yet. And _I_ didn't run away _first_."

"Yeah, well…" Jack lets his sentence trail off when he sees just how upset the eleven year old seems. He is reminded of when Jamie was beginning to disbelieve in Aster, how dejected he looked sitting on his bed, his light fading. He frowns and moves down to the ground to walk beside Darcy. "What's wrong?"

"I can't be a part of this, that's what's wrong. I have to stay in the Warren all day long while the mortals get to enjoy life." She gestures around her with frustration, and Jack instantly understands. He had spent so long being invisible and unable to enjoy life with others, but he couldn't imagine being so young and full of expectations, only to have those expectations held from him by his own family.

"I get it. You think your parents are sheltering you."

"Duh." She scoffs, making him laugh.

"Don't worry, it will wear off once you're older. Probably." Darcy turns to him with doubt in her bright green eyes.

"Don't count on it. After tonight we'll be locked up for sure. Stupid Cooper and Logan. Why can't they just follow the rules?"

"Because following rules is for old people." Jack says, and he smiles at Darcy when she looks to him with confusion. "Come on, I'll show you my favorite parts of the city." She smiles and nods, following him easily as he flies above her.

Jack shows her the best areas to people watch, and that's what they do for the next hour or so. He idly wonders if Val and Bunny have caught the other two, and finds that he doesn't care. The energy that was rolling off of Darcy at that moment was more important. It wasn't quite loneliness. She gained too much love from her family to feel that amount of isolation, but it was definitely a sense of loss, even though she had yet to gain. He could tell that she wanted friends, and the inability for people to see her hit him close to home. He understood that longing for recognition.

"Hey, do you want to meet someone?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll show you." He nods his head in the direction of another neighborhood, and she follows curiously. Jack leads her behind a house and up onto the second level, where she balances carefully to make sure she doesn't fall off. "This is one of Jamie's friends. Well, kind of." He knocks on the window and Darcy watches a brunette walk closer to the glass, smiling when she sees Jack. Of course she doesn't notice her sitting there, and she feels a pang of sadness.

"Hey, Jack."

"Hey Cupcake. Are you busy?" She shakes her head and he grins. "Good. I want you to meet someone who's been feeling a little down." Cupcake's eyes glance out at the roof in curiosity but she frowns when she doesn't see anyone. Before she can ask though, Jack is talking again. "She's Fever and Bunny's daughter, Darcy."

"Oh! How old is she?"

"Younger than you by a bit. She's only eleven, but she's really nice. And she's been feeling down lately."

"I have not." Darcy tries to interject, but Jack's smile tells her that he didn't believe her.

"I hear her." Cupcake says as her belief makes the illusion of nonexistence drop. She looks behind Jack and then gasps when she catches sight of the blonde Pooka. "Aww, you're so cute!" Darcy blushes and wrings her brown paws together, feeling suddenly very shy. "Come on in!" Cupcake moves away from the window and Darcy can't help but jump through into her room. She is overwhelmed by the pink walls but then recovers, and smiles at the older girl.

"Hi."

"It's so nice to meet you." Cupcake hugs her with a grin, and then seems to understand how strange it is for her to be so welcomed, and steps back to give her some space. "I've heard a lot about you. I can't believe it's taken this long for us to meet."

"You're Jamie's friend?" Darcy asks, and Cupcake blushes furiously.

"Well… yeah."

"They're still making the transition between friends and more than friends." Jack smirks, and Darcy immediately wonders if her mother and uncle had something to do with that. She didn't know everything about what they did, but she knew that it had something to do with relationships. She suspected that _that _talk would come when she was older. "Anyway, they weren't sure if they would be visible to others. Apparently the same rules apply for them as other Spirits; only believers can see them."

"That sucks. It must be really lonely." Cupcake frowns at Darcy with sympathy, and she shrugs.

"It's okay." Her tone says otherwise, and at Cupcake's gentle brown eyes she continues. "Although I don't know if I'll ever have any powers other than controlling plants, so no one will ever know about me. I'm not really a Spirit."

"Well, you can always come hang out with me and Jamie. Our other friends will believe in you too."

"But you're all so much older." Darcy frowns. The other kids were all in their twenties, very different from her own stage of development. She couldn't imagine trying to make her way into their circle. No doubt she would be like the annoying younger sibling that always wanted to tag along.

"But you age quicker, right?" Cupcake asks. "You'll be up to our age in no time. Besides, we're not that superficial." She grins and then bites her lip as she considers something. "I'm sorry, but can I just touch your ears?"

"Um… sure." Darcy laughs slightly as Cupcake reaches up for the small appendages, feeling the soft fur that covers them.

"You're just so darned cute." Darcy laughs again, this time with more sincerity, and then both girls jump when there is a thud on the roof outside the window.

"There you are!" Darcy grimaces at the sight of her father and Val, both looking upset. "We've been looking all over for you."

"It's fine, Bunny. I just wanted her to meet Cupcake." Jack says before she can get in all of the trouble.

"Hi." The older girl waves at him, and he spares her a glance before glaring at the grinning silver haired boy.

"We should get home before anything else goes wrong."

"I'm sorry dad. I just wanted to see-"

"Now." His firm tone makes her jaw snap shut and she glares at the ground before opening a tunnel directly to her room, jumping in. "Darcy!"

"She's back in the burrow. Relax." Val says softly, obviously feeling the rift in their relationship from Aster's surly attitude.

"Look, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. She's been feeling alone lately. She needs to meet people." Jack says. "If they believe in her, they can see her. You'd be surprised how much a little bit of attention and understanding can help a person."

"I get that. But she can't go running around. It's dangerous."

"She's tough, she'll be fine." Aster sighs and gives up on the argument, seeing that he was outnumbered. He gives a wave goodbye to Cupcake and climbs out onto the roof, hearing the other two follow him after their own farewells.

xoXox

Later that night when Fever returns home, he doesn't tell her everything that happened, only that the first night out went fine. However, when she asks whether or not they were seen, he had to mention Cupcake, and that caused the entire story to come out.

"So the Spirit rules of visualization apply to them." Fever mumbles to herself, considering what that meant for them. "Damn. I wanted them to be able to interact with the mortals."

"Why?"

"Well, being invisible gets boring eventually; having to live anonymously. How are they supposed to make friends?"

"Jamie and the others will be their friends."

"Yes, but what happens when those kids age well into adulthood? Eventually Cooper, Logan, and Darcy are going to stop aging, right? Then what?"

"Then they'll make new friends. They won't be alone, Fever."

"How can you be so sure?" The concern in her dark brown eyes makes him wonder the same thing, and he only hopes that they can find that clarity before the triplets lose hope in gaining companions of their own.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Thank you to **Edam Aster Bunnymund, **who I think is the first one from this story to review "The Monster." I'm glad you liked it even though there's no Bunny!

Coming up next is a big plot twist. I don't want to give it all away, so I'll just give you guys the first extremely vague sentence: "The sound no parent ever wants to awaken to is their children's blood curdling screams." How's that for a teaser? But don't worry, it's nothing terrible! Review please! Still looking forward to the magical number 60! We're so close!


	19. quite a shock

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

**Edam Aster Bunnymund: **Sure! I'm in the middle of writing it now, so I'll post it as an outtake after the last chapter.

**EncyclopediaBrittanica:** The wait is over! And yeah, I'm considering continuing "Underappreciated." It's very unlikely that I'll just leave that as a one-shot.

**MJ Ethreal: **I'm glad you liked that little part! I've definitely thought about writing a continuation story focusing on the triplets' future romances (there's a little bit of Darcy romance coming up later), but I always end up focusing on Faster. It's still a possibility though!

Chapter 19:

The sound no parent ever wants to awaken to is their children's blood curdling screams. It is this sound that brings Fever to full attention and sprinting through the gold and crimson hallway to get to her daughter with Aster hot on her heels. She pulls at the handle but it is locked, which isn't an unusual occurrence but doesn't make her feel any better about the situation.

"Darcy! Honey, are you okay?" She yells at the wooden door but gets no response, so she resorts to banging on it harshly. "Darcy!"

"Mom?" Fever lets out a relieved sigh when she hears her voice. It is frightened and quiet, but there is no pain in it.

"I heard you scream. What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know."

"What?" Aster mumbles behind her, but she shakes her head and tries the lock again with the same result. "Sheila, open the door."

"No!" The response is so quick and sharp that Fever raises an eyebrow, but Aster just shrugs.

"Honey, we want to help. We can't do that out here."

"I only want mom to come in." That makes them both pause, but Aster sighs and moves away. It doesn't take long before the lock clicks, and after Fever gets the okay to come in, she cautiously pushes the door open, her eyes glancing around curiously.

"Honey, what-"

"Close the door!" Fever jumps but does so, giving Aster a look not to peek or eavesdrop. When she finally locates Darcy, she sees that the teenager is huddled under her blankets on the bed, squirming anxiously.

"Um… Darcy?" She moves toward her and sits on the edge of the bed, reaching a hand out to stroke the wriggling mass comfortingly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes… no… I don't know." Fever sighs as she tries to figure out what the problem could be. Her first instinct was that since her daughter had recently turned thirteen, that maybe she had begun to menstruate. That was unlikely though, seeing that Spirits didn't usually have those biological functions. Then again, they weren't supposed to get pregnant either…

Shaking her head, she tries to pull the blankets away, but Darcy grabs them and pulls them back down.

"What's the matter? You grow another limb or something?" She is relieved at the giggle she receives, and then smiles even though her daughter can't see it. "Come on, it'll be fine, whatever it is. Just tell me." Darcy squirms one more time, and then she slowly begins to peek out from under the blankets, and Fever feels her breath catch in her throat as a slender hand moves out from under the fabric, and then a blonde head peeks out, sans rabbit ears. If she didn't have Aster's bright green eyes, Fever wouldn't have believed it was her daughter, but there Darcy sits completely human, her expression one of utter confusion and slight panic. "Oh my…"

"I just woke up like this. I don't know how…"

"It's okay, it's okay." Fever reaches out to awkwardly stroke Darcy's hair as she would her ears, and then just sighs and sits there, unsure of what to say.

"Am I a freak, mommy?" The endearment nearly breaks her heart, and she quickly shakes her head.

"No, of course not. Your father and I weren't entirely sure if this would happen or not."

"What?" Darcy's eyes widen at this, and Fever realizes that they probably should have mentioned it sooner.

"You were all born Pooka, but of course I'm human. And there is a theory that Pooka are shape shifters, so we didn't know whether or not you would ever be able to shift into a human form, but… I guess we know the answer now." Right on cue, two more screams echo nearby, and Fever jumps up from the bed to peak into the hallway. "Aster?"

He is trying to keep the blonde and brunette boys from running down the hallway completely nude, both continuing to scream and gape at each other in shock.

"Just calm down! Crikey, it's fine!" She bites her lip to hold in a laugh despite the situation as Aster tries to corral them back into their room. The boys finally stop screaming and run back into the safety of their room, and Fever finally laughs, gaining Aster's attention. "Is Darcy human too?"

"Yeah. I'm going to find her something to wear. Val should have some clothes in his room as well."

"Okay. I'm going to go talk them down, and then I'll be back in the burrow." Fever nods and heads back into Darcy's room to tell her to stay put while she gets some of her clothes from her closet, and Aster sighs and enters the room, watching Cooper and Logan continue to freak out.

"What happened?"

"I don't know!"

"Hey!" Aster yells, gaining their attention. "You are half human and half Pooka, remember? You just hit puberty and apparently this is one of the changes that are triggered. It's no big deal."

"It _is _a big deal! We're naked!"

"Relax, I've changed your diapers. And it's nothing I don't have. Mine is just… hidden." He clears his throat uncomfortably and mumbles an order to stay as he goes into Val's room, heading to the drawers. He grabs some random shirts and pants and returns to the room, tossing them at the boys. "Here. Your mother is talking to your sister right now."

"She's human too?"

"Yes."

xoXox

Darcy is staring at herself in the mirror, pulling on her hair and inspecting her hands and feet when Fever returns with an armful of clothing.

"Are you alright?" She asks, not able to tell if Darcy is happy about the change or not.

"How long am I going to be like this?"

"I don't know." Fever answers honestly. "I'm assuming it was caused by you and your brothers hitting adolescence. Puberty does a lot of things to the body, but this is definitely new."

"Great." Darcy groans, and stops looking at her new reflection to take the clothing from her mother. "Thanks."

"You don't like yourself like this." It is a statement, not a question.

"I've always known how to be a Pooka. I don't know how to be a human."

"It's really not too different." Fever says with a reassuring smile. "You still have ears and hands, they're just tweaked a little bit. And you don't have to worry about a tail getting in the way."

"But I have to wear clothes now. Before I had fur and now…" She looks down at herself before pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt. Both were too big but they would have to do until Fever could find her better ones. "It's just so weird."

"Trust me, it's weird for me too, seeing you like this." Fever brushes a hand over Darcy's blonde head, and smiles. "But you're still you. The same sweet, intelligent, beautiful girl that I love." Darcy smiles up at her and turns around to hug her tightly.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetie. Don't worry about this, okay? If you really hate it then we can try to find a way to change you back."

"Okay." Fever lets go and gives her a kiss on the forehead before moving toward the door. She pulls it closed behind her to give Darcy some privacy, but she catches a glimpse of her daughter beginning to smile at her reflection at the last moment. It makes her grin, and she feels the relief run through her as she moves to the boys' room. She knocks warily and waits for their voices.

"Cooper? Logan? Are you guys okay now?"

"Yeah, we're fine!"

"Don't come in!"

"Didn't your father give you some clothes?" She asks, curious.

"Yeah, but we want to see what it's like without fur."

"Okay." She just laughs and shakes her head, heading to her bedroom. As she passes the crimson and gold pillars, she wonders to herself if being in Cyprus had attributed to the change. Being in the Warren helped them become more in tune with the earth, so why shouldn't being in their second home affect them too? She was thankful that none of them seemed to resent their humanity too much, but it did make her wonder what it would be like to suddenly change species. She reaches to her head, trying to imagine sprouting two rabbit ears. It was a ridiculous thought, of course. She knew it wasn't going to happen.

Fever frowns as she enters her bedroom, her mind remaining on the idea of becoming a Pooka. She closes the door and continues in, jumping when Aster puts an arm around her waist.

"What's that look for? Is Darcy okay?"

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. Sorry." He nudges her nose with his and smiles, trying to get her to open up, and she can't resist a smile. "I was just wondering what it would be like if I were to suddenly become a Pooka." His eyes widen at that. "I know it's not going to happen. But this has made me think… would you prefer me as a Pooka?"

"What?"

"You know what I mean." She glares at him slightly, knowing that he was stalling to come up with a good answer. "Come on, I'm serious. If there were a way, would you want me to change?"

"Not at all." He says firmly, holding her close. "I love you just as you are." She rolls her eyes, but he just smirks and shakes his head. "I know you don't always believe me, but I do. Besides, we work pretty well together even with you being human. Your personality wouldn't change, you would just look different. You being a Pooka wouldn't change a thing."

"You wouldn't prefer me with big ears and a tail?"

"Nah, I like your tail just the way it is." His paw reaches down to squeeze her rear, and she laughs, giving him a kiss. "And your lips."

"Oh really?"

"Mhmm. And your soft skin. And your breasts… and your legs-"

"Are you just going to list everything you love about my body? I have a brain too, you know."

"And I love your spirit. I particularly love your center." His paw moves to her front and she smirks, knowing that he means her passion as well as his favorite playground. "Would you like to know why?"

"I'm sure I can guess. But why don't you tell me anyway?" She whispers, spreading her thighs so he can move his fingers over her, making her shiver.

"Because I love to see you writhe under me. I love feeling your warmth. I love how you get wet for me." Fever begins to gasp as his finger teases her clit, and she instantly pulls him down on the bed to straddle him, putting an end to his confessions with a kiss. Just as she lets out a breathy moan there is a knock on the door and Val's voice reaches them. "Damn it." Fever groans and shakes her head, determined to ignore it, but the door swings open and she quickly pushes Aster's paw away from her and rights her underwear, sitting up.

"Val!"

"You'd better have a good reason, mate." Aster glares at him from beneath her, not even trying to cover up his arousal and ignoring Fever's attempts to move away from him to save some of her dignity.

"Yeah, I do. My nephews' pulses just sky rocketed. What's going on?"

"Go ask _them_." Fever gives Aster a scolding look at his sharp retort, and she turns to Val, her cheeks flushing.

"They shifted to human. They have clothes but are still getting used to the transition. Maybe you can give the boys some advice?" It is clear what she is asking for; some private time without any more interruptions. Val smirks but there is still surprise in his expression from the news.

"Sure. Aster, why don't you join me?"

"Not on your nelly." He growls, and Val flat out laughs.

"Fine. Anyway, Fever, you need to get topside and do some work."

"No." She whines, pouting, and he shakes his head.

"I gave you the time off that you wanted, but our couples need some love, too. Go on." She glares at him and succeeds in climbing off of Aster's lap, ignoring his groan of agony.

"I'll be back soon."

"Mhmm." He mumbles, not believing her.

"It's actually a good thing you're here. You should talk to Darcy about teaching her archery after you talk to the boys. She wants to give it a shot." Val nods and smirks at Aster who has not stopped glaring at him, while Fever pulls on her overcoat and disappears.

"I hate you." Aster grumbles, but doesn't receive a response other than a nod of acknowledgement.

"I think it's about time you gave them _the talk." _

"No. It can wait a little longer."

"Bunny, they're going to need to know eventually. Puberty comes with a lot of things, and now they don't have fur to cover those things up."

"They may change back."

"And what happens when Spring Fever catches them, eh?"

"That's not funny." Aster glares at him anew for the pun that he didn't appreciate. "It doesn't have to be today."

"I think it does. I'll give them five minutes before they begin comparing sizes."

"Oh, dear God." Aster's eyes widen at the thought, and Val smirks as he seems to get through to him. He stands and makes his way out of the room into the hallway, trying to mentally prepare himself for this. Val follows him down the hallway, looking smug, and when they reach the door to their room, Aster knocks awkwardly. "Um, boys? Val is here. Can we come in?" He hears what sounds like a "yes" and pushes the door open, expecting the worst.

Fortunately they are just sitting on their beds, pants covering their lower halves, but they are still inspecting their upper bodies. Aster begins to think that he has dodged a bullet, and considers escaping now that he knows they are fine, until Cooper opens his mouth.

"How do we get our doodles to go away?"

"Wait a minute. You call them 'doodles?'" Val tries to speak through his chuckles, and Aster shifts uncomfortably.

"Well, mom doesn't like 'dongers.'" At that Val laughs so hard that he nearly falls over, and he mumbles something contradictory under his breath, making Aster shove him away.

"Rack off, why don't ya?" Aster runs a hand over his face, wanting to just disappear, and he moves to sit next to the two, ignoring Val's now constant giggles. "Um, okay, so… ugh, they don't really ever go away."

"What?" Logan squeaks, staring down at his lap.

"They never go away when you're Pooka either. But when you're Pooka they stay hidden in your, um…"

"Sheath." Val points out helpfully, and Aster glares at him again. "What, did you forget? Maybe Fever can help you find it again? Oh wait… no, she hates it… isn't that right?"

"Will you leave already?" The archer raises his hands defensively and makes a show out of leaving the room. Even though it was Fever's idea for him to give the boys some advice, it was clearly not going to happen with his mind now in the gutter. When the door closes, Aster sighs again and turns back to his sons, the embarrassment threatening to make talking impossible. He clears his throat uncomfortably and tries to get back to the reason he was there. "It's still the same parts, just in a different package, okay?"

"But how do we get it to go away?" Logan repeats Cooper's question, looking even more confused.

"It doesn't. That's why you have to wear clothes when you're human. You don't have fur covering anything and it's considered inappropriate to walk around with your lower regions bare."

"Why not? We used to all the time."

"Well yeah, but now you just can't."

"That's not fair." Aster shrugs, not knowing what else to tell them. "Does Darcy have to wear clothes now too?"

"Uhh, yeah."

"But she doesn't have a doodle. What-"

"She has bobbles, remember? Boys have doodles, and girls have bobbles." Cooper interrupts, and Aster's jaw drops in horror. He should have known that his sons weren't completely unaware of the difference in sexes, but he definitely didn't need to know that they were aware of it so early on.

"Yeah, but bobbles are on the top. What's on the bottom?" At that, both boys turn to their father, and he groans in mortification.

"_That _is a subject for when you're a little bit older." He says, and instantly stands to leave the room, his mind running a million miles per hour. He _knew_ he should have just waited for Fever to come back.

"How long will this last?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see." Aster answers, and is thankful when they don't look too upset by the news, just curious. When it is clear that they don't have any more questions, he allows himself to leave, shaking his head. Never had he thought about the need to teach his sons about the different sexes when he had considered becoming a father. He was definitely going to have Fever explain to them about the female body. He cringes at the thought of explaining the biological purposes of their anatomy, and just shakes his head, escaping down the hallway.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Puberty sucks, eh? I knew I wanted them to shift the minute I decided to write this story. But just to get this out of the way, Fever is **not** going to turn into a Pooka. I like her human, and so does Bunny! Coming up next, the triplets begin their training as they learn how to protect themselves, and a little dosage of Faster smut. Review please!


	20. don't say dorky

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Whoot whoot! 62 reviews! Thank you so much you guys. Your awesome comments make me laugh, brighten my day, and keep me writing!

Chapter 20:

It became known that the shifting between Pooka and human would be an on and off thing not too much later. It also became known that it was something the triplets could learn how to control, and that puberty was definitely the culprit for the change. After a few weeks of getting used to their new appearances, they were all shocked when one day Logan just returned to his Pooka form. They were just sitting at the dinner table in the burrow and his form wavered slightly before he appeared again, with his previous smooth gray coat and large ears, shifting uncomfortably as he ends up sitting slightly on his tail. Darcy jumps from her spot next to him, and Fever lets out a cry of shock, gaining the attention of the others.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" Cooper's eyes are wide and he reaches over to touch his brother to prove that he wasn't just seeing things.

"I wished I was a Pooka so I could chew my carrots better." Logan says, making Aster laugh. "And I just changed. It wasn't even painful or anything."

"Let me try." The other two were able to do the same, simply willing the change, and that began the fun game of switching forms constantly.

While their parents were very happy that neither form was permanent, as the children seemed to have different views of when either was better, such as Darcy's need to become human so her lessened hearing could block out the sounds of her brothers arguing about trivial matters. And often the boys needed a sudden burst of speed to escape the other because of the most recent prank, so they would become Pooka to do so. It didn't seem to affect their abilities to manipulate plant life. They were still strongest in the Warren, but they could stay human as they helped Aster take care of the egg plants, one of the duties they took on with enthusiasm.

It was all very entertaining to say the least, and when they returned to Cyprus to begin their training with weapons, they decided to try out in both forms, but still seemed to prefer the familiar movements their Pooka bodies knew.

"Why don't you want to try the boomerangs?" Aster is beginning to sound whiny, and it makes Fever smirk from where she is showing Darcy how to aim the throwing knives in the vital areas of the paper human cut out.

"They're just kind of… dorky."

"Dorky?" Aster nearly chokes at Cooper's choice of words and the young boy shrugs.

"No one actually uses them to fight."

"I do. And they're pretty damned effective!"

"Aster!" He rolls his eyes at Fever's scolding, knowing that she had said her fair share of curses around the children and nothing terrible happened.

"I just don't understand why you don't want to try them out."

"Because the swords are so much cooler." Logan joins in, only making Aster feel more foolish.

"They have a point." Fever grins and Aster gestures for her to hush, turning back to them.

"You know that swords have their weaknesses. They are only good for close combat. Boomerangs allow you to fight offensively _and_ defensively without getting close enough for your target to harm you."

"Yeah, but mom looks like a badass." Logan says, and this time Fever can't hold in her laughter. Darcy rolls her eyes at her brothers and continues to throw the knives, biting her lip in concentration and letting out a triumphant whoop when she hits the target in the chest. "They're just more intimidating and awesome."

"I can show you two how to use one." Fever offers, and both boys look excited at the idea as Aster's shoulders slump. She winks at him, but it doesn't exactly make him feel any better.

"My boomerangs are not dorky." He mutters dejectedly before walking away from his sons and sulking in the corner with the hard working cherubs. They just squeak at him and he mumbles something Fever can't hear. She feels a moment of guilt but tells herself that she'll make it up to him later. Besides, it wasn't her fault that the boys preferred her weapon of choice to his.

"Alright, come here. Val!" She calls out to her brother, and he immediately walks over with a smaller bow and a quiver of arrows for Darcy to try out. "If you want to try the sword, you have to promise me you'll be careful. These are dangerous, okay?" Both boys nod and reach out greedily as she pulls two shorter ones off of the wall, already made to fit their heights. She hands the weapons to them with a warning glance, and thankfully all they do is study them.

"They're heavy."

"Well you'll have to get stronger, won't you?"

"I'm going to be the strongest!" Cooper yells, giving the sword a practice swing and making Fever flinch as he narrowly misses his brother.

"What did I say?" She scolds, reaching to take it from him.

"Sorry, mom." He jumps away from her but frowns, his eyes full of repentance. "I won't do it again."

"I'm not joking around here. You can really hurt someone. These are for protection only, do you understand me?" He nods, but she stares down at her sons, wondering if this is even a good idea. They could protect themselves with their magic over plant life well enough, and they were pretty positive that there weren't any malevolent Spirits left that would target them directly. It wasn't that necessary that they be armed…

The look in her sons' eyes, the desperation to learn the art, and for them to feel stronger, makes her soften. She knew what it was like to feel helpless, and she didn't wish that on anyone, especially her loved ones.

"We'll be careful. And we'll practice really hard." Logan says, seeing where her thoughts are leading. Cooper nods in agreement, and it doesn't take long before they pull out the pouts and the widening of the eyes that gets her to succumb to their every wish. She sighs and wants to rip Aster a new one for teaching them that trick. She hears him laugh somewhere in the room and rolls her eyes before nodding.

"You're going to train with me until you get the basics down. Then you can train with each other." She says, ignoring their enthusiastic cheering and high fiving.

"Good luck. You're going to need it." Darcy scoffs from her position in front of Val. She lets loose an arrow and it hits the target dead in the center, making her smirk at her brothers.

"Yeah, whatever. Keep your little arrows. We'll be over here learning how to be badasses!"

"Cooper!"

"Sorry mom."

xoXox

Fever spent the rest of the day practicing with them, teaching them the basic swings and blocks. They would lose their balance every now and then, but she could see the potential and their concentration. They were being honest when they said that they would practice hard. She believed that in time they could become as good at the sword as she was. The thought makes her worry a bit, hoping that they never felt the need to actually use them.

Even with Luke gone, there were still some less friendly Spirits that were needed to keep a balance in the world. Thankfully most of them were like Pitch, merely dishing out fear and mild irritation rather than pure evil like Luke, and they never lashed out at individuals with malicious intent. Still, she and Aster's children weren't Spirits, and she was still wondering about what their duties were and their reason for being born.

"Do you think Mother Nature had a plan for them when she impregnated me?" Fever asks from inside the shower, her voice carrying to Aster who is lying on the bed. He is still sulking because of his shunned boomerangs, but at least he answers her with his usual humor.

"I believe it was _me _who did the impregnating, and I have no idea. Why?" She shrugs even though he can't see her, and moves under the shower head to rinse the shampoo out of her hair, closing her eyes.

"They're not really Spirits. They didn't die, and so they weren't reborn. They were just born out of a womb, which never happens. But the Spirit rules still apply to them, you know, because they can't be seen unless someone believes. So… what is their reason for existing?"

"To drive us crazy?" His voice being so close makes her jump, and she peeks around the shower curtain to see that he's entered the bathroom.

"Are you still mad?"

"No." His pouting contradicts his words though, and she just laughs.

"Baby."

"I'm not a baby." He grumbles, and she jumps again when he moves the curtain out of the way and climbs into the shower behind her. "What does it matter?" Fever tries to gather her thoughts as she feels the same butterflies scatter in her stomach that she gets every time he's close to her, and it doesn't help when he puts his paws on her body, lazily following the patterns the dripping water creates.

"I don't want them to just run into the face of danger. It isn't their job."

"Maybe they just want to prove that they can be strong, too."

"But do they have to do it in a way that can hurt them?" She sighs when he cups her breasts, his fingers pulling at her nipples, and he presses his front against her back. His hardening length presses against her rear and she sways it teasingly.

"They're smart, baby doll. They won't put themselves in danger. Though I think they would have a better chance at protecting themselves if they had-"

"Will you knock it off about the boomerangs? Jeez." She gasps when he pinches her nipple and then he brings his mouth to her neck, nipping lightly and making her knees go weak. "I'm trying to take a shower, Aster."

"You look clean enough to me."

"Yeah, but if you keep it up I won't be." She feels him smile against her skin and she puts her hand over his, making him squeeze her breast harder.

"That's what I'm hoping." He says heatedly. She turns around carefully, the hot water hitting her back, and then she smirks up at him.

"I think you're just trying to repair your bruised ego."

"Maybe."

"Mhmm." Her smirk widens and she leans forward to wrap her arms around his neck, connecting their lips in a slow dance. He responds eagerly, playing with her tongue and running his paws up and down her body. Fever strokes the back of his neck with one hand while her other moves down his chest and stomach, resting at his shaft. He breaks their kiss and stares down at her, his eyes begging and demanding all at once. It makes her shiver and she instantly drops to her knees, not wasting any time in drifting her tongue over his head. Aster hums in pleasure and she strokes the bottom half of him with her hand as her mouth lowers over the top half, surrounding him in warmth and moisture.

"Ohh, yes." He can't help but moan, and he watches her head bob over him, grasping her hair and wrapping it around his wrist to hold it away from her face. She sucks him lightly, knowing it is just enough to make him want more, and she is proven correct when his hips thrust toward her. She wants to smile, but with her mouth full all she can do is let out a muffled giggle before sucking him harder. "Damn, you feel so good." She lifts her mouth off, making him curse again, but she uses both of her hands to stroke him, each moving in the opposite direction and twisting as she pokes at his slit with the tip of her tongue. "Ah, Fever!"

"Hm?" She smiles up cheekily at him, but his eyes are shut and his grip on her hair tightens, sending tingles down her spine. She savors the look of utter pleasure on his face and puts her mouth over him again, this time taking him deeper. She closes her eyes and focuses on breathing out of her nose when his tip brushes the back of her throat.

"Shit, shit, shit." Aster chants, and his hips buck, making her gag. "Oh, fuck!" She has to wonder what has come over him at that moment, but he just breathes heavily and groans, his eyes opening to watch her again. She gives him a curious look with her eyes, and he grins sensually. "You remember when I told you that I had fantasies?" She obviously can't reply, so she just presses her tongue on the underside of him and continues to suck him, quickening her pace. "Ohh… I fantasized about you taking me… ugh, shit… deep in your throat, and making little sounds just like that." _Hmm. _A light bulb goes off inside of her head and she moves him further into her mouth and watches him shudder, his groaning increasing. She doesn't gag anymore, already used to taking him without discomfort, but she has an idea of something even better.

She continues to hold him steady with her left hand, but moves her right down her body, stroking her breast and catching his eye before she trails her fingers over her center, feeling the moisture that has gathered. Aster's green eyes widen and he glances at her flushed face, seeing the desire in her eyes. Her hand moves again, and he watches her insert two fingers as her mouth continues to suck him.

"Are you wet for me, baby doll?" She immediately pulls her fingers out and shows him the glistening juices on them, making him smirk. "Do you need to cum?" Fever widens her eyes innocently and it nearly finishes him right then, but he holds back, knowing that it would be worth it. "Then play with your pussy, sweetheart. Fuck yourself for me while you suck my cock." She moans in response, making him jerk and she closes her eyes for a moment, gaining back control. His voice, raspy from desire was going to ruin her. She thrusts her fingers back inside and uses her thumb to circle her clit, relieving some of the tension that he has caused. "Add another finger." She does as he says and moans again, making him twitch in her mouth.

She tries to concentrate on giving him pleasure as well, grazing her teeth lightly over him and making him curse even more, in turn making her even more hot. When his hips begin to thrust against her face rhythmically and he is consistently groaning and whispering to her, she picks up her own pace, her fingers rubbing against her g-spot roughly and her clit pulsing with the impending release.

"I'm going to cum." She moans at his words, feeling the tension rise, and he holds her still as he tries to pull away. But this time she doesn't let him. She sucks him harder and moans as her own pleasure washes over her, the vibrations making him shake along with her. When she comes down from her high, she redoubles her efforts, ignoring his pleas and using her now slick hand to push his hips into the wall of the shower. "Baby doll, I'm going to… oh, Fever…" She pushes him further against her throat, closing her eyes tightly as her gag reflex kicks in again, and she swallows, her throat contracting around his tip. "Oh, fuck! Ah! Don't stop! I-ooohh, bloody hell! Swallow it baby doll! Ugh, please!" She would have done so even without that, but it makes aftershocks go through her, his groans and commands bouncing off of the walls. He jerks in her mouth and she swallows his cum as it streams to the back of her throat, continuing the pleasure as she contracts around his dick. His paw tightens around her head, pushing her even closer so her nose brushes the fur on his stomach, and she coughs slightly in surprise. "Shit, yeah… ohh…" His whispers die down as he finishes, and Fever slowly drags her mouth off of him, gently removing his paws from her head. She licks her lips, still tasting him on her tongue, and smirks up at his sated expression. "You're going to kill me one of these days."

"Mmm, I couldn't do that. I'd miss you too much." She strokes his softening length one more time, making him shudder, and then she stands and turns the now cool water off.

"You didn't have to." She knows what he means, but she just smiles, remembering his reaction to her not backing down and taking all of his release, and decides that it was something she would definitely have to do more often.

"Actually I did. I was already clean and didn't feel like taking another shower." She continues to smirk and steps out of the stall to grab her towel. "But you should also realize by now that there's not much that scares me off. Besides, if you continue to react like _that, _I will gladly continue to choke on your cock and swallow your cum." His pupils seem to dilate at hearing it come from her mouth, and she nearly skips into the bedroom. "Try to keep that in mind the next time your little ego is hurt because of your dorky boomerangs." She lets out a surprised squeal when he throws her over his shoulder and carries her to the bed to finish what she started.

xoXox

**Author's Note:** … Watching this movie is now officially awkward. I just can't do it knowing that I've defiled that sweet grumpy bunny. Anyway, there's a bit of a time gap between this and the next chapter; the triplets enjoy their sixteenth birthday by enjoying a campout in the Warren. Kind of filler but there's some bonding over marshmallows and ghost stories, and then after that we get to the really good stuff, I promise! Review please!


	21. sweet sixteen

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 21:

"So what are you guys doing for your birthday?"

"I don't know." Darcy shrugs as she focuses on weaving flowers into Cupcake's hair. She and her brothers were technically turning sixteen that day despite their physical appearance and aptitude hinting at an older age. Cupcake had been shocked at their accelerated aging when Darcy came to visit after their first meeting, but had gotten over it quickly. The latter girl was now taking flowers that she had collected from the Warren and was using their flexible stems to weave a garland into Cupcake's braids that created a halo over her otherwise flowing hair. "It's not really something we celebrate too heavily. My brothers and I are having a camp out type of thing. You know, snacks and stuff. What are you and Jamie doing?"

"Darcy, I've told you we're not dating."

"Mhm." The blonde smiles and finishes placing a rose in the middle of Cupcake's hair. "He's taking you out to dinner, isn't he?"

"Yeah but it doesn't mean anything."

"So you asked me to help pick out an outfit and do your hair for just a normal friendly outing?"

"Yes. And I don't need you and your uncle trying to play matchmaker."

"Alright, fine. But just so you know, we haven't hit either of you yet. Those butterflies you're feeling are all you." Cupcake blushes at that and Darcy giggles, handing her a small mirror to see her handiwork. "Anyway, I should get going. No doubt Cooper and Logan have killed each other by now. They're still trying to get the hang of sword fighting."

"I can only imagine how that goes."

"With a lot of yelling and eventually a wrestling match." Darcy rolls her eyes and stands, straightening her dress. Cupcake watches her for a moment and then gives her a curious look.

"Why don't you stay in your Pooka form anymore?" The question catches Darcy off guard, and she pauses in collecting her bow and quiver from where she had left them in the corner. While she was still learning like her brothers, she had gained some small amount of skill with the weapons. At the same time, she, like her mother, hoped she was never forced to use them.

"I stay Pooka sometimes. But when I'm out of the Warren I just feel more comfortable being human. I don't know why."

"Are you trying to blend in?" Darcy feels a moment of bitterness and tries to tamp it down.

"I wouldn't say that since I'm invisible. But I guess so, yeah. It makes me feel less weird creeping around your house, I guess." That makes Cupcake laugh, and she shakes her head.

"You aren't weird. I guess I'm just wondering if you feel as if one form is better than the other."

"No, I just…" Darcy pauses and wonders to herself if that _is _how she feels. She loved being both Pooka and human, but each form had their different advantages. She could open tunnels in either, but she felt more normal visiting her mortal friend as a human, and felt more normal in the Warren as a Pooka. She couldn't necessarily pick one over the other, but obviously she had some negative feelings associated with each in the opposite environments. It confuses her, thinking on it now, and she feels somewhat guilty for shunning both of her parents' species for any reason at all. "I don't know, Cupcake. Sometimes I just feel like a freak." Cupcake's brown eyes soften and she stands to hug Darcy, shaking her head.

"You're not a freak, D. You are special, and a wonderful person. Please don't think anything different." Darcy returns the hug and smiles, grateful for the kind words, but still confused as to her issues with her appearance and heritage.

"Thanks. Hey, have fun with Jamie tonight, okay?" Cupcake nods with a slight blush and Darcy steps away before tapping the floor lightly with her booted foot, opening a tunnel. Cupcake waves goodbye and instantly Darcy is running through the grassy passageway on two legs, her speed still quicker than any mortal. She carefully skips over the eggs that linger in the tunnel, and feels not a small amount of shame for thinking that being a Pooka was strange, even if it was something the mortals weren't used to seeing.

She stops running, and slowly allows herself to change, her ears moving to the top of her head and growing, and her face changing shape slightly as she grows a muzzle, her senses becoming sharper, and her body becoming slightly taller. She opens her eyes and looks down the tunnel, feeling her home calling to her. She moves down to her hands and feet and begins running, picking up speed and feeling utter happiness flood her at the familiar sensation and the feeling of completion around the fertile earth. However, as soon as she begins to feel right, doubt seeps into her mind again, and she considers the horrifying thought that she may always feel torn.

xoXox

Logan flinches and brings his arms up above his head, blocking Cooper's swing that comes down right toward his face.

"Ugh, seriously?"

"You have to be quicker than that." His brother grins down at him, his furry feet leaping off of Logan's shoulders to go over his head and slash at him again. This time Logan is ready for him, and he twists, giving the blonde Pooka a kick to the stomach and knocking him to the ground. "Ah! You little cheat!"

"It's not cheating if it works, right?" Logan grins at Fever, who just smirks and shakes her head.

"It's not quite cheating if you're fighting an enemy and need to gain the upper hand… but in this case of _training _it is most definitely cheating. You're supposed to be working on skills with the sword, not hand to hand combat. Your father can teach you that." She says, and Logan groans while Cooper kicks his feet out from under him, completely ignoring his mother's previous statement. Their swords clatter to the ground and instantly the two are rolling around, throwing out punches and kicking at each other. "Hey! Knock it off, you two! Enough!"

"Good luck. Last time they didn't stop fighting for hours. Idiots." Fever turns toward Darcy who walks over with a smirk, and she rolls her eyes.

"At least I had one sensible child. How's Cupcake?"

"She's good. She's going out with Jamie tonight but still doesn't want any help." Fever sighs, making Darcy laugh. She knew her mother was just dying to get the two together, but her ethics wouldn't allow her to do so while she knew it was unwanted.

"It's about time you got here." Darcy turns toward Cooper, who has a squirming Logan in a headlock. "We got s'mores for tonight. I hope you're hungry."

"Sure."

"You guys will have the Warren to yourselves tonight. I'm going to work with Val and I think your father wanted to check with North about something for Easter."

"Cool." Logan grunts and flips Cooper over before yanking on his ears, making the other yelp in pain.

"Very. How about I go with you tonight?" Darcy asks sarcastically and Fever laughs, giving her a pat on the back.

"You'll have fun. Goodnight." She smiles and then disappears, and Darcy shakes her head in irritation as her brothers continue to wrestle.

"Don't you guys ever stop?"

"I'll stop when he admits that I'm stronger than him."

"Oh, yeah right!"

xoXox

When the sunlight finally decreases, bathing the Warren in a nice comforting dim light, the three siblings set to work on creating their camp site for the night. As the boys bring tree roots up out of the ground to create an area for them to sit, Darcy starts the fire, making the embers burn bright and crackle. When it doesn't need any more tending, she settles onto the smooth roots with her brothers who eagerly tear open the packages of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows and begin to stick the latter on skewers.

"You guys are going to get that stuck all over your fur." Darcy laughs, and they give her an incredulous look.

"And you'll get it in your hair. What's the difference?" Her smile freezes and she once again feels as if she's in the wrong body, but she doesn't change back to Pooka. She just leaves them for a minute to get their parents' gift out of the burrow, a large carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Darcy grins as she carries it out, gaining Logan's attention.

"Ooh, is that for us?"

"Yep. Happy birthday, love mom and dad." Cooper reaches out a paw to swipe at the frosting but Darcy pulls it back with a slap to his wrist. "Don't even think about it!"

"Kill joy." She sets the cake down next to them and then sets to work making her own s'more.

When the three of them finish off the first bag of marshmallows, the conversation moves onto ghost stories, and the general consensus is that they will each tell one, and the one who tells the best will win the last piece of carrot cake. Cooper demands to go first, and when the other two complain, he merely grins.

"I'm the oldest, so I get to go first." Logan says, and Cooper glares at him.

"We're triplets, idiot."

"Yeah, but I was born first, so I'm the oldest."

"You are not!"

"Just let him tell his stupid story." Darcy interrupts their banter with a shake of her head, and gestures for Cooper to continue.

"Thanks, sis." She just smirks as he chooses to ignore the insult, and Cooper clears his throat theatrically. "It was a dark and stormy night-"

"Booooo!"

"_What?"_

"That's a stupid and cliché way to start. I'm overthrowing you."

"Aw, come on!" Cooper glares at Logan but the gray Pooka who puts another marshmallow over the fire, watching the embers pop and scatter.

"Nope. Alright, let's see. This one is called, The Hike." Logan pauses for dramatic effect and then begins the story, his voice low and haunting. "Long ago there was a forest. It was so thick that you couldn't see anything once you entered, and only the most foolish of people did-"

"Oh, now _that _isn't cliché!"

"Shut up, it's my story! Anyway, every now and then an idiot would decide that they wanted to see what was so scary about the forest. In the daytime it seemed completely harmless, full of little chipmunks and rabbits, but at night…" Darcy smiles and plucks a marshmallow off of her skewer. She could already guess where this story was going, but she didn't have the heart to interrupt like Cooper had, so she just continues to listen. "… at night it was haunted by a soul so tormented that those who went in never came out. You may ask what happened to them."

"What happened to them?" She asks with a smirk, and Logan returns it as he gets into the tale.

"No one knows." Cooper scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"I know. They were killed, weren't they?"

"No one knows, dummy. That's what makes it so creepy."

"It's not _that_ creepy."

"One night a few teenagers decided that they would have the best night of their lives. They were going to enter the forest and find out if the stories were true. They wanted to know if there really was something mysterious that was making everyone disappear, and so as soon as the sun went down, they began making their way through the thick trees, pushing branches away as they go. It is completely silent, not a woodland creature to be seen, and the moon is completely covered by clouds, leaving them in utter darkness.

"The youngest automatically feels that they shouldn't be there. He thinks they should all leave while they still can, but the one that leads the chain of friends says that he's just afraid. 'Don't be such a coward!' He says, and the youngest doesn't want to be humiliated, so he just continues to follow along. Soon they are so deep in that they can't remember the twists and turns that brought them to the center. And it is at that point that they begin to listen. 'Do you hear that?' One of them asks, and the others automatically look around for the source of the sound; a quiet moan. It sounds as if someone is in pain, and it makes the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.

"Once again the youngest wants to leave, and this time he doesn't wait for the others. He just turns around and runs, not even knowing where he's going. He just tries to escape the eerie feeling. The others try to catch him, to tell him to be careful. But he just keeps running, his footsteps quiet against the damp ground. And then… nothing." Darcy glances over at Cooper, who is now listening to the story with new respect, his eyes wide. Even though they knew the story was completely fabricated, it was still scary to hear surrounded by their own darkness, knowing very well that there were true malicious spirits out there. "The others try to figure out where he could have gone. They look for a ditch, a hole, perhaps. They think, 'Maybe he just tripped and rolled down an incline?' But there is no such thing. They look closer at where their friend had been, and the only thing they find is where his muddy footprints suddenly stop.

"A cold feeling goes through them, and then at the same time, they all look up… and see their friends' body hanging above them in the branches of the trees, his eyes blank and lifeless." Cooper and Darcy gasp, and Logan grins. "They begin to run just as their friend had, all in different directions. They abandon each other, searching frantically for a way out, their screams echoing in the night. The one who had been leading them is now terrified, regretting his decision, knowing that he has the youngest kid's blood on his hands. His vision is obscured by his tears, and he hears his friends, one by one, screaming until their voices are abruptly cut off. He knows they are dead, and doesn't want to think about how they have been killed. He just wants to get out of there.

"He turns away from their short screams, trying to climb over the roots and ferns that block his way. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' He keeps saying, but no one answers him. It is then that he looks up, and two glowing eyes stare back at him. He screams and stops running, but the figure continues toward him, moving out from between the trees. The teenager takes in the sight of a fellow hiker. It is an older man, but his skin is rotten, falling off of his bones, and his tattered clothes are covered in old dried blood, his breaths heavy with exertion. But the one thing that stands out is the hatchet in his hand, dripping with the fresh blood of his friends.

"He screams again and tries to run, but the hiker is on his heels, his own voice full of rage. The kid can just barely make out his words, 'You killed them, you killed them.' 'No, I didn't! Please, don't hurt me! I'm sorry!' The boy pleads for his life while trying to get away, and then he is falling. The hiker has knocked him down, and he hovers over the boy with the red stained hatchet raised above his head. 'You killed them, so now I will kill you.' With that the hiker brings the hatchet down, and slaughters the boy.

"The next day when the parents are asking around town, trying to figure out if anyone had seen their children come back after their night out, the police find the one friend who had stayed behind, who had denied their invitation to join them that night. The friend says that they wanted to prove their courage, and so they went into the forest. He had stayed behind because he had heard the stories about how people had disappeared.

"The police asked the kid if he believed the stories. He just stared at them, his expression blank. 'They didn't believe, and now they are gone.' That was his answer, and it shook everyone in that town to their core. The bodies of the teenagers were never found, and it is said to this day that they have joined the hiker and the others who had been foolish to enter the forest, to kill those who mocked the stories and therefore their own disappearances. The forest was nicknamed, _The Killer of Fools and Murderers, _because it was decided that only fools went in, and those who drove the fools in were murderers, and eventually, all of them became murderers." Logan then flicks a marshmallow at Cooper, who shrieks and jumps up, making the other two crack up. "So, how was that?"

"Not bad." Darcy says with a shrug. "But I still think I can do better."

"No, I'm next!" Cooper demands, and Darcy just puts her hand out, which he responds to by doing the same. "One, two, three!" They each shake their fists and then open their hands into two different symbols, and Cooper groans when Darcy uses her two fingers to mimic cutting his flat palm.

"As I was saying, I can do better."

"What is it? In some haunted mansion some princess finds out that she has an ugly reflection and will never get a boyfriend?" Darcy glares at Cooper who just raises an eyebrow mockingly.

"That's not cool, man." Logan says, and he places a paw on Darcy's shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"It's fine." She says, but he shakes his head, his ears flattening.

"No, it's not. Look, Coop, you know she's been feeling down lately. Why would you say something like that?" The atmosphere around the campfire seems to change to a more serious tone, and Cooper appears to understand the weight of his words. All three of them had come to the conclusion that they would remain invisible, but the alternative wasn't necessarily welcome either. There was a chance that with their hereditary duality they would not be accepted by anyone even if they _did_ find a love interest.

None of them considered themselves ugly, as their genes from both parents were very favorable, but they couldn't deny that they were very different from the mortals, and couldn't see themselves finding happiness with someone who thought them an oddity.

"I'm sorry, Darcy. I didn't mean it." Cooper sighs.

"I know you didn't. But is it so wrong, wanting to find love?" At her question he shakes his head, and then shrugs with a wry smile.

"But honestly… how can we?" Logan frowns and stares into the fire as the fun part of the night abruptly ends. "First of all, we're immortal. We will outlive absolutely anyone we fall in love with. I'm not so eager to complete the 'till death do us part' portion of the wedding vows, and there isn't really a surplus of Spirits our age. Not to mention the fact that we're half Pooka, and look very much like mutant rabbits to the mortals, no offense."

"We are half human, too." Darcy stresses, and gestures to her human appearance. At that, Cooper laughs without humor, and shifts to his own human form, his blonde bangs hanging slightly in front of his dark brown eyes.

"Yeah, and that's all fine and great. But what happens when we turn back," He shifts back to Pooka, making her frown, "into this? We wouldn't be accepted, Darcy!"

"You don't know that." Logan says quietly, and Cooper rolls his eyes.

"And do _you?_ Darcy has the best chance here. Guys are shallow, but they're not _that _shallow. Anyone would most likely look at her pretty green eyes and fall hard, staying with her even if she sprouted another head, let alone turned into a rabbit. She's _cute!_ But us, Logan, seriously?"

"I don't get what you're saying-"

"I'm _saying _that we're destined to be alone, forever! We would be seen as monsters to any mortal, Logan. There's no denying it, and it's not going to change. I refuse to deny what I am. I'm _proud, _but damn it, no matter how we want to look at it, we don't fit in anywhere but here!" Cooper throws his arms up to acknowledge their home in all of its eternal Springtime, and then he lets all of his pent up breath out and settles for glaring down into the fire like his siblings. They are silent for a long while, and then Darcy sighs and shakes her head as well.

"I know how you feel, Cooper. But we don't know anything for certain. I mean, look at mom and dad. They found each other, and they look pretty happy to me. Dad having fur didn't keep mom from loving him any less, and mom's temper didn't chase him off either." Logan mumbles, "amazingly" under his breath, and the three of them manage to laugh. "They didn't try to be something they aren't, and love each other all the more for that. They happen to have their Spirit status working for them, I'll admit… but there's no reason why we couldn't find our soul mates that would love us for all that we are as well." Cooper smiles at her, and she returns it before punching his shoulder none too lightly. "And if you ever call me ugly again I'll rip your tail off and give it to some poor unsuspecting kid in their Easter basket!"

Cooper chuckles and wraps an arm around her to pull her close, and just like that the playful atmosphere is back, all harsh words forgiven. One of the best things that the siblings shared was the ability to realize that life was not worth being spent fighting and miserable. Even though they would often hold grudges, said grudges would never last long enough to dismiss the love they held for one another.

"I don't remember hearing an apology." At Logan's statement, Cooper rolls his eyes and Darcy giggles. He took up the idea of being the oldest way too seriously sometimes, and never passed an opportunity to act as the responsible older brother.

"I'm sorry, little sis. I'm an asshole sometimes, I know."

"Yes, you are. Can I tell my story now?" At the blonde Pooka's nod, she grins and Logan begins to make another s'more as she gets her thoughts back together. She idly wonders how many they have eaten before disregarding it and gets into telling her own ghost story.

"There was a girl named Shy. She was, as her name suggested, very quiet and reserved. She didn't have many friends, and she rarely instigated any relationships with others."

"Um, this doesn't sound like a very happy story." Cooper interrupts, his tone somewhat polite but confused."

"It isn't meant to be." Darcy says with a wry smile. "Just wait for it… The reason she was so withdrawn was because of the one gift she could have done without; the ability to communicate with the dead." Logan smiles, seeing where she is going, and Cooper leans forward in anticipation too. "She had been able to connect with spirits ever since she was a child, and it resulted in the alienation that she was forced to endure every day of her life. People called her a freak, and she was bullied constantly in school. Many times she considered ending her own miserable life, just so she could escape, so she could join the souls that had become her allies and confidants. But she was stronger than that. She vowed that one day it would all end, and she would find herself rising above the pain she endured at the hands of her classmates.

"Her high school years were tough, but she soon found refuge in the form of your average school field trip. She was to go overseas to Romania with her class and visit historical castles that had stood for centuries. Of course, she was excited. She couldn't imagine a better time, and she had loved castles all of her life. She was finally seeing an end to her suffering, and couldn't wait to go, despite the fact that she would be surrounded by the people she hated so, and who hated her.

"When they arrive in Romania, it is as if all of her dreams have come true. It is beautiful and she can feel like someone different, someone other than the battered lonely girl she had been. But it is only that first night that she realizes that she is still stuck in a nightmare, and it has only begun…

"The class had gone through the entire castle, admiring the architecture and left over relics from the family that had lived there and long since died. Shy hadn't gotten in anyone's way, choosing to stay behind the group in order to prolong the peace she felt in the dusty floors and old furniture. Little does she know that her evil classmates are planning to make the next few minutes of her life hell. They lag a little bit behind their professor and the other students, and the five bullies hide behind the corner as Shy approaches. One whispers to the other to be quiet, and they grab hold of the door to another room. Just as Shy walks past, another pushes her into the empty room with a laugh, and the person holding the door closes it shut and locks it behind her, trapping her inside.

"Shy screams out in surprise and then gasps when she sees that she is in complete darkness, stuck. There are no doors or windows in the room, and it causes her to breathe heavily, feeling as if she would suffocate in the small space. She waits for her eyes to adjust to the dark, and then instantly begins to pound on the door, begging the kids to let her out. They of course, simply laugh and congratulate each other on a job well done. They have frightened her, and therefore made themselves feel better about their own empty lives. But they had no idea what they had started.

"As Shy continues to scream and pound on the door, her breaths become clouds of warm air as the room turns suddenly cold. She gasps and looks around her, but sees nothing. Goosebumps break out over her skin, and she feels the overwhelming sense of spirit around her. She had been connected to the dead long enough to know that something was forming, becoming tangible, and coming straight for her. She screams again, and this time, her fists, now bloodied from their assault on the wood, grasp the door handle, and she throws her shoulder into the door. It gives way, and she falls into the hallway where her classmates are still laughing. Shy doesn't even stop to yell at them. She just runs away from that room, away from the unknown thing that had terrified her. 'Where are you going, Shy?' One of the kids asks. 'It was just a joke!'

"So absorbed in their prank, they didn't realize that the rest of the students had already left. They had packed up in the bus and left for the hotel, oblivious to their smaller numbers. The six students, Shy included, were now stuck in the castle. Even the tour guides had left, and it was obvious that they had been wandering around for far too long, because now the sun was setting as well.

"'How are we going to get back?' One of them asks, and the others are quiet in their fear. They had heard the stories of the castle, the rumors of it being haunted, and even though Shy hadn't mentioned her own interaction with the spirit in that room, they could feel that something was with them. They continue to wander around the castle, trying to find the exit, and when they get to the main common room, that is when they realize that their fears have come true. The form of a woman appears, ghostly white and almost transparent, in front of them. They are terrified, of course, but the doors are suddenly locked, and they can't escape.

"The woman simply stares at them, and then she smiles a grim smile, her teeth pointed and deadly. She swoops down toward the students, and all they can do is cower around each other. And then she speaks, 'You will all die tonight.' Her voice is gravely and sends shivers down their spines. The students take her words as the truth, and try to run again, to escape their fate. But the woman isn't done. 'You will find three objects here in the castle in an attempt to win your lives.' This gives the kids hope. If they could only find these three things, then maybe they could live another day. They beg for mercy, accepting her challenge, and she continues to smile, happy that they will play her little game. But there is a terrifying catch; as the objects are found they will have to be retrieved from a dangerous obstacle, and at least one will die." Cooper and Logan's eyes widen as her story becomes even more complex. Darcy pauses in her telling and remembers the ending, and tries to come up with the best way to build the suspense before it is done.

"The first object is easy enough to find. It is the diary of the youngest daughter in the family who lived in the castle. The students scour the castle's wing that was home to the little girl, searching everywhere she would have spent her time. And still there is nothing. They begin to feel the fear of failure, and then an argument begins. Who will live and who will die? The woman had made it clear that at least one would die with each object retrieved, and so how did they decide whose life was sacrificed?

"As they debate, they eventually reach the stables, and find the diary in a pile of hay. But it is not as simple as it sounds. The stable is full of agitated horses, and it is clear that whoever disturbs them would do so with fatal consequences. The students decide that the one to go should be Shy, but she holds her own, claiming that if it weren't for their evil intentions that they would not be in that situation. She wins the argument, and one of the boys ends up tasked with fetching the deadly book. He trembles, knowing that the end is near, and he leaps into the stable, his pale shaking fingers throwing the diary out to the others. He turns to face his death, and the frightened horses' hooves trample him, mangling his unmoving body."

"The next object is a sword with a very violent history. It was used by the father who committed suicide. He was driven to madness by an infection that had grown from a simple cut. The sickness had spread, and with no cure, he had simply plunged the sword into his heart, leaving his family behind. Once again the argument of the sacrifice tears the group apart, ally turning against ally, and by the time they get to the graveyard and see the silvery handle sticking out of the dirt, chaos reigns.

"The two who had been shouting soon begin to use their fists, and just as the sword is pulled out of the ground, and Shy attempts to calm the two now fighting teens, their shoving bodies plummet into an open grave. They try to climb up, but only succeed in bringing the loose dirt on top of them, and their frantic movements continue to bury them within the cool earth. Soon they are completely buried, having literally dug their own graves, and suffocate. The others, horrified, run back into the castle, as if feeling that the earth would open up beneath them as well.

"There is only one object left to find, and there are only three of them alive. They begin to think that two of them may make it out with their lives, until the ghostly woman's voice echoes around them and tells them that the last object is not a what, but a who, and only one of them can find them. The three become desperate, running throughout the castle to find the person that they don't even know. They consider that it may be another of their classmates that is left behind, and in their fear and desperation they become careless. Perhaps it is their lack of concentration, their tripping over their own feet, or maybe it is just one last trick from the evil woman herself. But one of the last living souls falls down the stairs of the castle, chasing after something that is not there, and their neck collides with the floor, their spine severing and taking their life.

"The other shrieks in horror at the sight, and in the darkness of the room run straight into Shy, who is just as terrified. They run into the drawing room where she had been trapped by her classmates, locking the door as if to keep the evil out. However, the other girl feels the cold surround her, and when she looks to Shy in confusion, she sees her eyes overcome with the evil of the ghostly woman. She tries to run, but Shy simply smiles, and the sword of the fallen father is suddenly in her hand. 'You've found me.' She laughs, and the other girl screams in terror as the sword is brought down on her, ending her fear and her life.

"In the end, the ghostly woman had been correct. All had died at her hand. She was the infection that eventually felled the last girl. She had gotten her own revenge in her honor, and it is said that she continues to reside in that castle, using Shy's body as a façade and protecting her home from those who disrespect it." Darcy ends her story and smiles as her brothers just stare at her. She glances down at the fire and sees that it is almost out, and she reaches next to her to grab the last slice of carrot cake. "I take it that means that I win?" Not waiting for an answer, she takes a big bite out of the cake, and Logan and Cooper just shake their heads.

"Where the hell did you hear that story?"

"I made it up." She says, giving them a "duh" look. She always loved hearing Fever tell stories, and so she had been inspired to come up with her own, even though no one heard them.

"Okay, forget about the fur. Your creepy factor is going to keep you single." Cooper says, earning a smack from Logan, but they knew that he was joking. "I didn't even get to tell my story."

"Is it about a serial killer attacking a group of half-naked women?" Cooper looks bashful, and the other two laugh at him. "Yeah, I still win."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Awww, sibling bonding time was definitely needed. A little fun fact: the "Shy Girl" ghost story was inspired by a very detailed nightmare I had a couple of years ago. Anyway… coming up next, everyone is shocked when something unexpected happens on Easter. Vague, I know, but I think you'll like it. Review please!


	22. easter surprises

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 22:

"Seriously? After over five hundred years of doing this you're _still _freaking out?" Fever smirks and shakes her head when Aster glares at her and just continues to look around the Warren with concern. Multi-colored eggs were running around everywhere, heading to the tunnels, making it look as if the ground was a constantly moving rainbow.

"It's not as easy as it seems. I have to make sure that everything is perfect."

"Mhmm." She mumbles, and he gives her a warning glance. Every year he got this way; worried that something would go wrong, and every year she treated him like a basket case, pardon the pun. It never ceased to amaze her how he could go from being so confident and unshaken to the stereotypical scared little bunny when it came to his holiday. She worked every night, and she often resented those who only had to work one day a year, but she did have to admit that compared to his job, hers was pretty minimal when it came to stress. "Why don't you just take a deep breath?"

"Don't you have something else to do?"

"Nope." She chirps, and pulls on one of his ears playfully before kissing his cheek. "Actually, yes I do. I need to check with the kids and see if they're coming with us this year."

"Good, go do that." Fever smirks and flicks the back of his head at his dismissal before walking carefully through the marching eggs. She had to admit that their home was incredibly beautiful during this time. The life in the air was palpable in everything; the trees, the flowers, the butterflies, and especially the little painted creatures at her feet.

Since the triplets had gotten into their twenties, they had been in dire need of some privacy. They had built their own burrows away from their parents and each other in an attempt to "move out." Fever wasn't sure if they would ever live somewhere else other than the Warren, but it was definitely nice to have some more alone time without worrying about being overheard.

She gets to the burrow that her daughter had dug and knocks on the wooden door they'd put on it. Almost immediately Darcy calls out for her to wait, and Fever does so until the younger girl opens the door, her furry ears poking up in interest.

"Hey, mom." She says, coming out completely and smiling.

"Hey sweetie. I was just checking to see if you wanted to come topside with us." She doesn't have to clarify. Easter was such a big deal around the Warren that they couldn't forget about it if they tried.

When the kids were old enough to travel, they had jumped on the chance to see their father share Easter with the world. For the next few years they had always been excited to see Aster work his magic, but once they got older, they hadn't been so eager to join in. When they were teenagers and going through their "parents are lame" stage, they were especially not interested in the family bonding time that Easter allowed.

Fever and Aster always asked every year whether or not they wanted to join them, even though they knew the answer was usually no. This time however, Darcy smiles and nods.

"Sure. Give me a minute?" She disappears into the burrow for a few minutes and emerges as a human girl dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt. Fever manages to hide her surprise when Cooper and Logan also agree to go, and when she asks why, the boys just shrug.

"It's been a while since we celebrated Easter as a family. I dunno, I miss it." Logan says, and Fever smiles at him.

"How is dad?" Cooper asks with a knowing grin.

"Like every Easter, stressed out and going crazy."

"Anything we can do?" Darcy asks.

"Nah, I have a feeling that just having you there will help." Fever smiles and kisses the top of her head, feeling somewhat odd since they appear to be the same age now, and will for the rest of their lives. "Come on, let's go find the poor guy."

Aster is surprised as well to find the children joining them, but is nonetheless very happy. While they didn't often help him get Easter ready as he rarely wanted or needed it, he was still glad to see them enjoy the final reveal of all of his hard work.

"Do you want to use the tunnels or teleport?" Aster asks them, and they all opt for the ground-oriented way of transportation.

Fever just smiles and tells him that she'll latch onto their signal once they are there, and he grudgingly agrees. He had yet to be successful in his attempts to get her to run through the tunnels with him. He could understand her apprehension, but he still secretly wished she would give it a try. Still, he just runs into the passageways and heads for the surface with their kids at his heels, ready to make sure all of his hard work pays off.

xoXox

"Wow, look at them all." Aster's eyes widen as the children are let loose in the park, running every which way and carrying brightly colored baskets. He smiles from behind the trees and shrubbery as he watches the kids hunt for eggs in every spot in the park. He had really outdone himself this year; hiding them within the playground equipment to make the searching even more fun. The children run around with their friends, laughing and screaming in triumph as they collect all of the eggs Aster has left for them.

"There _are _a lot of them this year." Fever agrees, chuckling as she catches sight of one little boy trying to climb up a slide to get to the egg at the top. "At least they're well behaved."

"They always are." Aster says with a smile. He turns to smile at her, and then his smile fades when he sees that their own children are gone. "Where did they go?"

"What?" Fever turns as well, and she laughs and shakes her head when she sees that they are indeed alone. "I don't know. They were just here."

"We should find them." Aster says hurriedly, turning every which way to catch a glimpse of them.

"Thumper, they're twenty-one, not two. They'll be fine. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to see them."

"But-"

"Relax. They can take care of themselves. And they're invisible. Nothing bad is going to happen."

xoXox

Darcy smiles at the little girl who is struggling to find an egg. Her little basket is empty save for a couple of them that she no doubt had found simply lying on the grass. She seemed young, barely three years old, and Darcy doubts that she is able to really search in the harder to reach places. The frustration on the little girl's face is enough to make her want to help, and she bites her lip, torn. She knows that no one will be able to see her, but she's still hesitant to go out into the open.

She glances to the side and sees an egg lying harmlessly a few feet away. It would be so easy to just help the little girl out. That wasn't necessarily cheating, right? Darcy nudges her toe at the egg, and it rolls easily out from under the taller grass and flowers, stopping in a more visible area to the child. She clears her throat softly, and when the girl turns around to inspect the noise, her bright eyes catch sight of the egg, and she lets out a happy sound, running over to claim it immediately. She picks it up with a grin and places it carefully in her basket before running off to the more populated area of the park.

Darcy walks slightly out from behind the trees, reveling in the happiness of the little girl. It was amazing sometimes how something so simple could cause so much joy. It made her understand why the Guardians were created, and just how important the their work was. The look on that toddler's face was what they existed to provide, and she couldn't help but feel happy that she could help out at least a little bit.

"That was really nice of you." She jumps and lets out a surprised yelp, nearly tripping over her own feet in an attempt to see who had talked so unexpectedly. _It's probably just two of the parents talking, _she thinks to herself, but then she turns fully and sees a boy her age smiling directly at her. His eyes are amused, no doubt at her lack of balance, and he raises his hands defensively. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." Darcy's jaw drops and she looks over her shoulder, but there is no one else there. She slowly looks back to the boy, her mind screaming in disbelief that he was actually talking to _her. _

"You… you can see me?" His brow furrows in confusion and he lets out a small laugh, nodding.

"Of course. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I…" She doesn't know what else to say, and the shock is making her dizzy, so she just laughs and steps away from the tree she had been leaning on, walking into the more open grassy area and smiling at him. "Sorry. I'm not usually so…" She doesn't finish the sentence, and he just shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who scared you." He returns her smile, and she rocks back on her heels as a blush covers her cheeks. He seemed so nice, and he was incredibly cute. She had only met a few mortal boys, all of them Jamie's friends. She couldn't understand why this one could see her now, and she wasn't going to try to focus on that. All that mattered was that she didn't make more of a fool of herself than she already had.

"It's okay."

"I just thought that was really nice, helping that little girl out like that."

"Yeah, well… she…"

"You're not very used to talking to people, are you?" He asks it kindly, and her blush increases.

"No." She says honestly, and he laughs again before reaching out a hand.

"I'm Eric."

"Darcy." She shakes his hand, thankfully not too awkwardly, and can't stop the grin when he feels completely solid in her palm. While it was still unfamiliar and strange, it makes her feel almost normal. "Every child should enjoy Easter, no matter their age. I didn't want her to feel left out."

"That's really sweet. Do you have a sibling out hunting today?"

"Uh, no. But my brothers are out here somewhere, but they're not kids. I mean, they're my age. We're triplets." She tells herself to stop babbling, and she succeeds in cutting of her rambling thoughts before they reach her mouth.

"Triplets, wow. That's got to be interesting."

"Always."

"I have a little brother out here somewhere." Eric waves around generically, and Darcy smiles. "I wasn't stalking you, I promise. I was looking for him when I saw what you did, and… well, I guess that still sounds kind of creepy, huh?" He runs a hand nervously through his shaggy brown hair and she giggles, shaking her head. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, I guess."

"Oh." She tries to keep the disappointment out of her voice and isn't sure she succeeds. "Well, bye, then." She turns around and starts to walk back to where she had arrived with her parents, feeling like an idiot.

Maybe he would have wanted to talk to her longer if she wasn't so unused to talking to strangers. _Of course, someone sees me while I'm completely human, and I still manage to scare them away. _She wants to cry, she's so embarrassed, and hears her brothers' words ring in her ears about how they would never find anyone. Their harsh assessment that she was obsessed with finding a soul mate was incorrect, but she still couldn't brush off the idea completely. She sighs and speeds up her pace, just wanting to go home, when he calls out for her.

"Wait! Uh…" He jogs up next to her and she looks up at him in surprise. "Sorry, that sounded rude. I didn't mean for it too."

"What?" She's not sure what he means now, but her heart races at the possibility that he would want to continue talking to her.

"I don't want you to think I'm not interested. I mean, I don't want you to think I'm uninterested either. I… oh, jeez…"

"You're not very used to talking to people, are you?" She smirks, and he laughs.

"Touché." He sighs and shrugs. "I guess there's just something interesting about you. You seem special." Her cheeks blossom again and she thanks him awkwardly. "Do you want to-"

"There you are!" Both of them jump when Cooper appears out of nowhere and immediately heads for his sister. She can only be thankful that he is in his human form too, because it is obvious that he is also visible to the other male. Unfortunately, that also means that Eric could see the distrust in his eyes as he wraps an arm around Darcy's shoulder. "We've been looking all over for you."

"I'm fine." She growls out, glaring at him. She jerks away from him and gives Eric an apologetic look, but Logan appears also and goes straight for him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm-"

"His name is Eric. And we were just talking." Logan turns to her and the look in his eyes clearly says that she shouldn't be so quick to talk to strangers. She just rolls her eyes and steps closer to her new friend. "I'm sorry Eric. These idiots are my brothers, Cooper and Logan." She pushes the latter away as he attempts to crowd them and intimidate the younger boy. Well, younger physically, anyway.

"Really? I never would have guessed." He is trying not to seem threatened, but she can see that their intimidation tactics have worked. "They protect you like brothers."

"More like rabid wolves." She scoffs, and the blonde and brunette behind her glare at her for the insult. "Rabid wolves who shouldn't be treating their sister like a child."

"Mom and dad are looking for you."

"Well tell them that I'll be home later." Darcy raises an eyebrow as they try to object, but she just grabs Eric's arm and pulls him away from them, into the main area of the park where she knows her brothers can't cause a scene. When they reach the other children who are still hunting eggs, she sighs and frowns at him. "I am _so _sorry. I didn't think they would behave like that." That wasn't entirely true, but she still felt the need to apologize.

"It's alright. I understand." Eric laughs, and doesn't try to pull his hand away from hers. "Soo were you serious about going home later, or was that just to get them to leave you alone?"

"That depends."

"Well would you like to spend the rest of the day with me? I know this great coffee shop a couple blocks from here that has great pastries."

"I love sweets." Darcy grins, and Eric returns it.

"Great."

xoXox

"Mom! Dad!" Aster turns curiously as Cooper and Logan run toward them, their voices strained. Their faces are panic stricken, and as soon as Logan gasps out Darcy's name, he is on high alert, sensing that something terrible has happened. He runs up to them and grasps the collar of his son's shirt, making his eyes widen.

"What's wrong? What happened to her?"

"She left with a boy! They're going to some place for _pastries-"_

"Wait a minute. She was with a _boy?"_ Fever interrupts him as Aster freezes, still holding Logan's shirt and staring at him with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Yeah. He's our age-"

"And he could _see _her?" She gasps, and Aster slowly lowers Logan back to the ground. "Logan, start from the beginning. What happened?"

"Cooper and I were looking for her, and we heard her talking to someone. We just figured it was Jack, maybe hanging around to cause some trouble with the egg hunts. But when we got closer we saw this _guy_." He says the word like it's poisonous, making his mother roll her eyes.

"Yeah, and they were _talking. _Like, he could clearly see and hear her. And he was _flirting."_ Cooper says, and then gestures wildly. "So we obviously knew that he was up to no good, and we went in to help her out, you know? We even scared the guy a bit, but she just pushed us away and went off with him!"

"He could see her." Aster mutters, still seeming frozen by the fact, and Fever nudges his shoulder with hers to get him to snap out of his almost hypnotized state.

"Aster, they're visible." She can't keep the smile off of her face as she says it, and her heart flutters at the knowledge that her daughter has found someone outside of their small circle of mortal friends that she can communicate and hang out with.

"But how?" He shakes his head, and looks to her for an explanation. She shrugs and comes up with the only one that makes sense.

"Before they gained the ability to shape shift, they were only visible to the ones who believed in them like Jamie and his friends. They were Pooka all of the time, right? Well, what if when they became human, the Spirit rule of visibility didn't apply to them anymore?" Aster's eyes widen as he considers that, and Fever's grin widens. "They're still Spirits, but they can be seen by the mortals now because they have embraced their human side. We never tested their tangibility after they shifted because we just assumed they were invisible."

"Then will they be visible in their Pooka forms too?" Aster asks, and Fever turns to Cooper and Logan, who are watching with confusion. Cooper instantly moves behind a tree and shifts to Pooka before poking out his head. A child happens to look over in their direction that moment, and even though he is a good distance away, he gasps, proving their suspicions correct. Cooper quickly hides and shifts back to human, and thankfully the child doesn't come over to investigate, as surely he would have seen the three males in attendance, and have plenty of questions. "Okay, so that's a yes."

"What does this mean?" Logan asks, his voice tense.

"Don't you understand? It means that you three have a chance to live among the mortals and actually make friends with people your own age. Well, at least for a little while." Fever's initial smile fades a bit when she realizes that their failure to age would still get in the way, but it didn't change the fact that their world had just opened up dramatically.

"Now, about your sister-"

"Oh hush, Thumper." Fever cuts him off with a warning glare. "She's an adult now. She's free to hang out with whoever she wants to."

"Not strange boys!"

"She can protect herself pretty damn well, you know."

"That's not the point!"

"Uhh, we're just going to… yeah…" Cooper and Logan take the impending quarrel as their cue to leave, and they instantly open their own tunnels to escape their parents' raising voices. Fortunately, it snaps the two adults out of their argument long enough to realize that it won't solve anything to continue.

"You can't keep her locked up forever, you know." Fever says gently, and Aster grumbles his disagreement, causing her to flick at his nose. "Are you done here?" She gestures to the park where the egg hunt is already half way over, and he shrugs as he knows that there is not much more needed in that area. He couldn't concentrate anyway. He was too focused on the trouble that his daughter could get into.

xoXox

Fever is forced to keep an eye on him for the rest of the day to make sure he doesn't run off to "rescue" Darcy. She had to laugh at his need to protect her, even though she could tell that the boy's intentions were anything but threatening. She could feel her daughter's fluttering heartbeat, and knew that it wasn't from fear for her well-being. She was having fun with him, and Fever definitely didn't want to ruin that for her.

When Aster is finished with his Easter duties, she tells him that she will check on the boys, and meet him back home. Of course she finds her sons spying on Darcy. They are not so subtly hanging out around the corner of the shop where her daughter and her new friend are eating, and it makes her shake her head and grit her teeth. She walks up to them and grabs them both by their human ears, quickly dragging them away from sight of the pedestrians on the street.

"Ow, mom! Let go!"

"That hurts!" She ignores their pleas and glares at them fiercely despite them being her same height.

"Now you listen to me. You will do absolutely _nothing_ to bother your sister. You can stay out for the rest of the night if you promise to be back by sunrise, but _do not _do anything to hurt her or that boy. Do you understand?" The two cower under her and nod, and she lets go of them and puts her hands on her hips. "Good. Now, go on." Both run out from behind the café and take off down the street, and Fever sighs, moving to the patio where she can see Darcy sitting with Eric.

She looks happy, and Fever finds herself smiling at the sight of her daughter finally able to feel _normal._ She never wanted her to feel like an oddball, and did her best to make sure she was completely comfortable with who she was, but seeing her interact with a mortal now, _especially _a boy, was what really made her feel much better about their futures.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **So? I thought it would be kind of cruel to keep the kids from being able to interact with mortals, so I tried to come up with a plausible explanation for their sudden visibility. Next is one last trip to see Mother Nature, and this time Aster brings up some tough questions that lead to more fluffy smut, because that's the best kind there is! I'm super excited to get to these last chapters, you'll soon learn why. Haha! Review please!


	23. what they need

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

**Dominosowner: **It **is** a tough question and one I'll answer in an outtake at the end. So glad you love it!

Chapter 23:

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, they were talking and I even saw them bump into each other once or twice. Something has happened to them." North frowns and rests his chin in his hand as he ponders Fever's words. He didn't believe it when she first told him that the triplets were visible, but now he seemed to be coming to the same conclusion that she had; that her children were very different from any Spirit they had encountered. "Do you have any idea what could have happened?"

"No." He says shortly, and walks across his office to the bookshelf. "The rule is clear. Only a Spirit who is believed in can be seen." He pulls out the huge brown rule book and plops it on the table, flipping immediately to a certain page and showing her. "See?"

"Hmm. So they _aren't _Spirits?"

"Not necessarily. They have stopped aging, yes?"

"Yes. But they haven't shown any other powers other than being able to manipulate plant life. And I think that's only because they're half Pooka. It just doesn't make any sense."

"Why are you so worried all of a sudden?" North smiles at her anxious expression, and puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "The children are perfect."

"Yes, but I'm their mother and I don't know anything about them. I can't answer _any_ of their questions about why this is happening to them or how long they're going to live or-"

"Then maybe you should go speak to the Great Mother instead." She stops babbling at that and North chuckles. "You came to me for Spirit advice, but obviously it doesn't apply to them. This isn't a Spirit problem. It's a question concerning their birth. So why don't you go to the woman who made it so?" Fever sighs and nods. She had been hoping not to have to go back to her. While the woman was nice, every time she visited something bad seemed to happen. She had been hoping to just find something of use in North's book and have that be the end of it. Apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"Okay. Thanks, North."

"You're welcome." He gives her a quick hug before immediately locks onto Aster's heartbeat to teleport back to the Warren.

xoXox

She finds him among the flowers and trees as usual, and he instantly looks up at her with an expectant expression. However, all she can do is shrug.

"He's got nothing. His book only has Spirit information and he thinks this is an issue regarding their birth."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"Maybe we should go see Mother Nature again."

"Damn, I hate that woman." He grumbles under his breath, and Fever glares at him.

"You shouldn't. She gave us the three most beautiful children in the world." At that, he manages to look sheepish. He didn't take them for granted, he just didn't care for their godmother as much as Fever did. "So you're going to have to get over your hurt feelings because you're coming with me."

"Why?"

"Because last time wasn't so pleasant and there's no reason why you two shouldn't get along."

"She called me a _specimen!"_

"She's into biology, it wasn't meant as an insult." Fever grins at his petulant expression. "Come on, please?"

"No." She pulls out the big guns and pouts, making her eyes widen. Aster immediately looks away and shakes his head. "That's not going to work, baby doll." She wants to smirk, but keeps up the façade. As soon as he calls her that she knows she's getting to him. She even bats her eyelashes a little and makes her bottom lip tremble. It's at that point that he glares at her and stands. "You taught Darcy how to do that!"

"She's a smart girl." Now she does smirk, and he rolls his eyes. "Come on Thumper. We'll make it quick." He perks up at that, and she scoffs. "The trip with Mother! Get your mind out of the gutter."

"You put it there." He retorts, and she sighs, putting her hand out for him to take. He does so with a frown, and then mumbles something under his breath.

"I'll make it up to you, but only if you behave."

She gives him a warning glance and takes them to Mother Nature's typical hang out, immediately seeing the nymph waiting for them with a smile. It was really starting to get creepy the way the woman was always expecting them. Fever had to wonder if they were just really that in tune with each other, but it made sense. She was in communication with all nature, and that included the people and animals within it. She had to wonder if that got as annoying as having constant heartbeats in her head.

"Oh, you brought him back." The green tinged woman says, patting a hand on the log as an invitation to sit. Her tone is not unwelcome at all, but there is obvious surprise and curiosity.

"I thought it would be good for him." Fever says with a smirk. She sits next to Mother Nature, and thankfully Aster sits also rather than being a jerk and standing the entire time.

"You don't like me much, do you?" The nymph smiles at him, and he shakes his head.

"No, I don't."

"Well at least he's honest. I appreciate that. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"We have questions about the children."

"Of course. How are they?" Fever takes a moment to gather her thoughts. That question was so simple but the answer was so complicated that she didn't know where to start.

"Well, they…"

"Are they alright?" Mother Nature's eyes widen at the possibility of something happening to them, and Fever is touched at the concern she has for them.

"I think so. But… since you saw them last they've… changed."

"How so?"

"We've discovered that the theory of my people being shape shifters is correct. When they reached their thirteenth year they woke up as humans." Aster speaks up, and it surprises both women. He just frowns at Mother Nature and continues in a civil tone. "They have been able to shift back and forth for many years now, and they are comfortable in either. However, it has come to our attention that they are now visible to the mortals in either form, and we don't know why this has happened."

"What we really need to know is their status as Spirits. They can control flowers like Aster and travel through their own tunnels but they don't have any other powers." Fever adds.

"I honestly couldn't tell you." Mother Nature shrugs, but continues to look at them with comforting eyes. "I couldn't see what abilities they would be given once they were born. I didn't even know that they would have the choice to appear human. That's a good thing, right?"

"Well, yes." Fever admits. "Darcy has already met a boy that she likes very much. But it's brought many things to our attention that we're worried about."

"What specifically?"

"We know that they're immortal, but are they Spirits? The rules don't seem to apply to them, so we're not sure."

"I'll tell you what I know. Your children are the first of their kind." Mother Nature says patiently. "They are amazing, and I for one am very thankful that you've shared them with me. They are indeed immortal, and will live as long as any Spirit. However, I cannot tell you whether or not they _are_ Spirits. That is only something that the Moon knows." Aster lets out a frustrated sound and Fever takes his paw in both of her hands. Whether or not she is trying to calm him or herself, she isn't sure, but it makes her feel better nonetheless. "I'm not saying that they are, or are not Spirits. They were not born to take over duties like the rest of you. But you can have faith that neither the Moon nor I would ever intentionally bring life to something or someone who should not have been, only to have them suffer through their unique circumstances."

"So you're saying that we should just trust you?" Aster asks, none too harshly.

"Yes." Mother Nature's expression clearly dares him to contradict that statement, and Fever squeezes Aster's hand in warning.

"Then answer me one thing." Fever mutters his name in warning under her breath and glares at him, but he doesn't listen to her and stares the nymph down intently. "What were your intentions when you allowed us to have children?" Her eyes widen in surprise, not expecting him to ask that, and she holds her breath as she waits for Mother Nature to answer. She could swear though, that the nymph was hiding a small smile.

"You want to know why I did it." Mother Nature states, and Aster nods. "I blessed you with children because it was what you both needed."

"What do you mean?" Fever's brow furrows in confusion, and Aster stiffens next to her.

"Bunny wanted nothing more than to gain a family and someone to love, and I knew it would bring you peace as well."

"Peace?" Fever can't help but laugh at the idea. "I didn't sleep for months."

"Not in that way. How long has it been since you thought about your fiancé, Fever?" Mother Nature's voice is soft, but it feels as though she has screamed the words.

Fever swallows roughly as she tries to think back, and comes up with nothing. It had been so long since she even spoke his name. Guilt wracks through her, and she stares down at her lap, her eyes tearing at the realization that she was possibly the worst person in the world to forget her first love and his tragic death. She feels Aster's arm move around her waist comfortingly, but it only makes the guilt worse.

"And Bunny, how long has it been since you've thought about your own loss?" He glances away uncomfortably as well, and Mother Nature smiles gently at them both. "Don't you see? You both complete each other and your love fills the void that was created through losing your families. But the children give you something else to live for, and are a reminder that with every loss, life is just around the corner." Mother Nature nods toward Aster with a grin. "You should know that better than anyone, Mr. Guardian of Hope."

"I suppose I should thank you." He says with a small smile, and she laughs.

"I do like to hear that my work is appreciated."

"It is." Fever says, smiling as well despite her still watery eyes. "Really, thank you."

"You're welcome. And I don't mean to make you feel guilty at all for not dwelling on your past. I wanted you to move on, as John wished. We all need to grow and heal, and you now have the perfect family to do so." Mother Nature pulls the other woman in for a hug, an action which Fever appreciates very much. "It was very nice to see you again."

"And you as well." They part and Fever nudges Aster none too lightly. He glares at her and she nods toward Mother Nature, not even bothering to hide her implication.

"Thank you." Aster mumbles, and Fever smiles at the small step in their relationship. Even though he tries to dislike the nymph, she can tell that he is touched by her compassion and determination to give them a family.

"You are very welcome."

xoXox

"See? She's not so bad." Aster shrugs, not really wanting to dwell on it. He didn't want to say that his mind had been changed by one of his biggest rivals. He was truly thankful that she had looked out for them in such a way, but the last thing he needed was for Fever to say "I told you so" any more than she already had. He watches Fever brush her fingers through her hair to remove the tangles from the day.

"I behaved myself."

"Yes, you did. Thanks for not being mean." She smiles at him, apparently unaware of his tone. "I have to admit that I was a little worried."

"Mhm." He continues to stare at her with purpose, and she raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I behaved myself." He repeats, and sees the understanding flash in her eyes, filling them with humor. "So are you going to hold up your part of the deal?"

"Was it really a deal? I don't remember shaking on it." She teases, and he instantly moves his paw to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. She goes along with it gladly, and wraps one arm around his neck as she trails the fingers of her other hand down his chest, playing with the silky fur there. She parts her lips and accepts his eager tongue, moving her hand even further down until it bumps into his steadily growing erection.

"Are the kids home?" She shakes her head slightly to answer his breathy question before capturing his lips again and pulling him down over her as she lies back on the bed. Even though their own burrows were further away, it still felt weird to be intimate after the triplets reached adulthood. There was still an irrational fear of them barging in unexpectedly. Thankfully, since they became visible they were staying in the burrow less and less during the night. She knew that Darcy would most likely be with Cupcake, and the boys with Jamie and the other boys.

Fever moans when his length presses against her moistening center, and she lets go of him to push her underwear off. He pulls her shirt over her head afterward and lowers his head to her breasts, flicking her nipple with his tongue. She gasps and brings her hand up to his head, urging him on, and his paw fondles her other breast, making her eyes flutter shut.

"Aster…" She presses her hips up against his and smirks when he growls into her skin. She squeezes a hand between them and grasps him just tight enough to make him buck into her fist. Fever smiles and positions him to her entrance, and he does the rest of the work, pivoting forward and gasping when he is enveloped in her warmth. He pulls out so slowly that her mouth drops open, feeling every ridge stimulate her walls. "Ohh." Aster steadies himself with his palms on either side of her head and smirks down at her as he enters just as slowly, the pace just enough to drive them both crazy, but he can't help wanting to tease her. It seems to work when she gasps again and grasps his forearms, her eyes bright with desire. "Faster…"

He just shakes his head and continues the slow rhythm, ignoring her attempts to thrust against him and rush their joining. At that moment all he wanted to do was savor it, to make _love _rather than use it as a means to an end. One paw moves to halt her hips' movements, pinning it to the bed.

"Just relax." He whispers, putting more force behind his thrusts and feeling her begin to squirm.

"I will hit you." Her statement comes from between clenched teeth, and he laughs. Her hands are now grabbing fistfuls of the sheets underneath her, and her back arches. She looked in no way able to make good on her threat. He lowers his head to her breasts again and moans as the familiar tingles of pleasure rise up his spine. He usually preferred quick friction, but at the moment slow and steady was just perfect, and it provided longer stimulation on the areas that she needed it. Her walls clench around him and he groans, determined to keep up the slow torture.

"No, you won't." He retorts, and she opens her previously closed eyes to glare at him, one of her hands managing to swing at him. However, it slows right next to his head, and falls back as soon as his fingers begin circling her clit.

"Ahh, oh God!" She moans, and her eyes shut again, her orgasm rising. "Mmmm, Aster!" He keeps up the slow thrusts but increases the pressure and pace of his fingers, and the contradictory speeds make her let out a sob before she cries out again, her inner muscles contracting around him and bringing him closer to his own end. It may have been selfish, but once her shivers subside, he grasps her hips and continues to kiss over her collarbone, thrusting into her at a fast pace to finish himself. He moans and pulls out slowly though once the pleasure dies, relishing in her still quivering walls. "You are a mean, evil, bunny."

"Am I?" He flicks her clit one last time and chuckles when she squeaks at the sensitivity. She glares at him but sits up to plant a kiss on his lips, and as his eyes drift shut he does send a mental thank you to Mother Nature. And this time it is completely sincere.

xoXox

**Author's Note: **I know it was short, but don't worry! The next one is longer and full of fun! Aster sends the boys to spy on Darcy when she goes on her first date, and our favorite Pooka makes a very big decision. We're almost near the end, I can't believe it! Review please!


	24. first dates and final decisions

**Author's Note:** Thank for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following! Enjoy!

P.S. There are a lot of scene changes in this chapter. You know, the "xoXox" scene breaks? I hope they don't get too annoying. I tried to use them only when necessary.

Chapter 24:

Darcy can't keep the grin off of her face as she practically skips to her burrow. Her steps are light and she giggles every now and then, completely ignorant of a pair of eyes following her every move. Her mind is still stuck on the last ten minutes, replaying her crush's words over and over.

_"Would you like to go out with me?" _They were such simple words, and they had _hung out _before, but this was completely different. He had meant to imply that it was a date, and it had sent butterflies scattering in her stomach. She giggles again, and does a small twirl among the flowers.

"Well _someone_ seems happy." She jumps and turns at the female voice, and smiles in slight relief when she sees that it's just her mother.

"Hey, mom." Her tone is off, and it makes Fever stare at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and shifty eyes. Darcy tries not to let her anxiety show, but it is obvious it doesn't work when Fever puts her hands on her hips and smirks at her.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Um…" She stutters and tries to come up with something to explain her good mood that won't possibly get her in trouble. Her mother had done her best to make her feel like an adult, and rarely ever forbade her from doing something that wasn't harmful. However, she didn't know how she would react to knowing that her only daughter would possibly have a serious boyfriend within the next week. "I uh…" She takes a deep breath and just smiles, allowing her mother to see her excitement. "Eric asked me out on a date."

"Oh." Fever had known that the couple was hanging out casually for a couple of months, but there was no talk of romantic feelings. She had done her best to stay out of it as long as possible, and now she felt as if she had done the right thing. The look on Darcy's face is completely ecstatic, and she can't help but move forward to hug her. Darcy returns it whole heartedly before giggling and pulling away with a grin. "That's great."

"I know! He's soooo cute, mom! I can't believe he asked me."

"What are you guys doing?"

"There's this carnival by Jamie's house that's going on tomorrow. He says that he wants to take me there since I've never been to one."

"A carnival, huh?" Fever watches her continue to smile at the prospect of her date, and she can't bear to rain on her parade. While she knew that Eric had no ill intentions concerning her daughter, she was still afraid of that first heartbreak that everyone experienced in their lives. It was painful, and she didn't want Darcy to go through that, but she understood that there was always a first love, and she had no right to deny her the joy from gaining a companion, no matter how short the relationship may be. Darcy is still staring at her, most likely expecting her to say that she couldn't go. Fever tried not to let her hesitancy show, but apparently she wasn't that good at controlling her expressions. She sighs and smiles at her as well as she can. "I hope you two have fun."

Darcy's eyes widen along with her smile, and she throws her arms around Fever, jumping up and down.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Fever laughs and hugs her back, unable to be unaffected by her excitement. "I was scared you would tell me not to go."

"Who am I to keep you from enjoying life? Just be careful, okay?" Darcy nods and immediately runs toward her burrow, no doubt to pick out her outfit for the next day.

Fever smiles and shakes her head, continuing to the burrow that she and Aster shared across the Warren. _I hope she'll be okay. _She remembers back to the first time a boy asked her out, and smirks. She had been the same way, giddy and unable to stand still. Her mother had been furious; with the boy for asking and with her for being so happy about it. If the older woman had had it her way, Fever would have remained chaste and a spinster for the rest of her life. The thought of her mother seeing her now; a confident, strong, and often armed woman whose main purpose was to deal desire, makes her downright laugh. The poor old woman would have a heart attack if she ever knew.

xoXox

Aster glances up from polishing his boomerangs when Fever walks into the bedroom, and he smiles at the amusement on her face.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing really." She says, and sits down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. She glances up at his face and his intense concentration makes her giggle. When he looks down at her questioningly, she just smiles and pecks him on the lips. Then a thought strikes her. "Why didn't you ever ask me out on a date?" It catches him off guard, and he lets out a laugh, setting his weapons down and facing her fully.

"What do you mean?"

"Our relationship didn't begin because of you admitting your feelings for me and asking me out to dinner. You really just twisted our dislike for each other into some kind of lusty shit-storm."

"Oh!" He laughs and stares at her, trying to decide whether or not he should be insulted. "Is that how you see it?"

"That's what happened!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is. I woke up from a coma-"

"You were just knocked out from Val's arrow!"

"And there you were, molesting me in North's infirmary. Shame on you." She smirks and waves her finger at him, and he grabs it to make her stop.

"If I recall, you couldn't even deny that you felt something for me. You were too busy moaning in my arms." Aster returns her smirk with one of his own and leans forward so their noses are centimeters apart. "Remember when we were arguing, and we were this close to each other? You wanted me, even back then."

"Oh, please." She scoffs, and he pulls her closer with a grin. "Okay, maybe a little." She kisses him fully, and then grunts when one of his boomerangs poke her side uncomfortably. He gives a muttered apology and moves them away, and then he turns to her again.

"What made you think about that anyway?"

"Nothing really." She repeats her previous answer and glances away, trying to find a way to change the subject. She knew how Aster felt about Darcy even hanging out with boys, and the last thing he needed to know was that she was actually about to _date _one.

Aster watches her suspiciously as she moves around the room and begins to get ready for bed. She won't look him in the eye, and that is a big hint that she is keeping something from him. _Why didn't you ask me out on a date? _He ponders her out of the blue question, and then the reason for her edginess smacks him in the face. His jaw drops and he feels warmth rush through his body. However, it is not from desire, or even remote happiness.

"No!" He gasps, and she freezes with her pajamas in her hands, turning slowly to face him. "Darcy has a date?" Fever sighs and nods, raising her hands defensively.

"Don't freak out, alright? It's just Eric."

"Like that makes it any better!" Aster tosses his boomerangs aside and groans, pulling at his ears. "No, this can't happen. She's too young!"

"She's twenty two, Thumper. She's hardly a kid anymore." Fever laughs and walks up to him, taking his paws in her hands in an attempt to calm him. "Don't worry, okay? This is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would make a big deal out of it."

"Because it _is _a big deal!"

"No it isn't. Look, Eric is a nice boy, okay? Trust me, I checked him out. He just wants to get to know her better."

"Oh, no doubt." He sneers, and she pokes his nose as a warning.

"Don't say anything negative to her about it, do you hear me?"

"Why not?"

"Because I trust her. She can take care of herself, and if you want to keep your relationship with her on good terms then I suggest you don't try to deny her this chance to find love."

"But-"

"Do you know what happens to girls who are told they can never have their way?" He raises an eyebrow and she smirks. "They turn into me."

"Oh, crikey." He pretends to be horrified and she laughs, shaking her head.

"It's just a date, okay? So don't freak out on her… or him." She glares at him, knowing that he is already considering a plan to ruin the poor boy's chances. "If I find out that you've done something to mess with their date, you will be in the doghouse… again. Got it?" He can't agree, and frowns as he imagines his only daughter getting hurt by some mortal boy she barely knew.

"I just remember her as the little girl who would fall asleep on my chest and who helped me open flower buds." He whispers, and Fever's eyes soften. She knows that he doesn't want to lose her, but she has to help him realize that he won't.

"She's still that little girl, just a little older. You have to let her live her life, Thumper." She pulls his head forward and kisses him softly. "Promise me you won't do anything to ruin their date."

"… I promise."

xoXox

"You want us to spy on her?" Cooper's eyes widen while Logan begins to smile mischievously. Aster feels a moment of guilt before he brushes it off. He wasn't technically doing anything wrong. If he left all of the dirty work to his sons, then he wasn't breaking his promise to Fever.

"Yes, but don't let her or that boy see you."

"Duh. That's what spying means, dad." Logan scoffs, and Aster glares at him.

"Whatever. Just make sure no funny business goes on, alright?"

"Does mom know about this?" Cooper asks, and the look on Aster's face gives him the answer. "Why are we risking getting in trouble while you stay in the clear?" Aster sighs and prays that what he says next won't come true.

"If you get caught, I'll take the fall for it, deal?"

"Deal." They shake paws on it and the boys shift to their human forms before thumping the ground, opening a tunnel to the park where the carnival was going to take place. When the holes close behind them, Aster lets out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and shakes his head. He thought it would be hard to convince the boys to do it, but at least he wasn't the only protective one in the family. Now all he had to do was keep Fever occupied so she didn't realize they were missing. Easier said than done…

Logan stops running when he thinks they have reached the right spot, and tells Cooper to stay down until the coast is clear. He opens the tunnel and pokes his head out, seeing that they are a good enough distance away from the carnival entrance that they won't be seen.

"Alright, come on." He waves Cooper up and climbs out, watching the adults and adolescents that are passing through the lit up gate.

"This is a carnival?" Cooper asks with disdain. "It doesn't look like that much fun to me."

"We're not here to have fun. We're here to protect our innocent little sister from the clutches of an evil mortal incubus." Logan smirks. "This is a life or death mission. Are you up for it?"

"I accept, commander." The boys laugh and give each other a high five before walking toward the entrance, trying to look as casual as the mortals that expect to have a great night out.

As soon as they enter the gates, they keep their eyes out for their sister and her date. However, it is very crowded and every blonde head makes them swivel only to find out that it isn't the blonde girl they were searching for. There were children running all over carrying floating balloons, loud music was playing from multiple mechanical rides, and the smell of sweet and salty snacks filled the air, making their mouths water.

"Where do you think they'd be?"

"I don't know. This place is like a maze." They are both taller, so they can easily see over most of the peoples' heads, but they still have some trouble. "Dad is counting on us to watch out for her. If we can't even find her-"

"We will. Just give it five minutes and we'll see her stomping our way. No mortal can be _that_ fascinating."

xoXox

Darcy takes a deep breath, savoring the smell of sugar that is so familiar to her. She steps closer to the concession stand and smiles at the sight of pink strands of sugar being spun into nests of thin candy.

"Do you want some?" Eric asks with a smile, and before she can answer, he is handing money over to the vendor.

"Oh, I…" She pauses when he hands her a bag full of the pink fluff, frowning. "I didn't bring any money." She curses herself for forgetting that in places like this, you needed money in order to take part in activities and buy food. She had spent enough time around Cupcake and Jamie to know that money was important, no matter how silly it seemed. She now felt somewhat guilty for forgetting, and making Eric spend his own. However, he just smiles and shakes his head, pushing the bag into her hesitant hands.

"This is a date, remember? I've got it covered." She smiles shyly back and opens the bag, curious to taste the sugary treat. She pulls a piece of the spun sugar off of the clump and places it on her tongue, humming in pleasure when her taste buds approve.

"It's really good." She smiles and moves the bag closer to him, and he chuckles, taking her up on her offer. "Thank you."

"Of course. I'm really glad you decided to do this with me, Darcy."

"Me too."

"Do you want to go on some of the rides?"

"I don't know. I've never been on one."

"No way!" Eric's eyes widen at her confession, and she shakes her head, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Was that strange for someone her age to never have ridden a carnival ride? She wasn't sure, but he just grabs her hand, making her heart flutter, and leads her over to one that nearly takes over half of the carnival. "Everyone has to ride a roller coaster at least once in their life."

"A roller coaster?" She looks up at the large machine, and listens to the passengers scream as they are thrown around the track, their arms in the air. She feels a moment of fear and digs her heels into the ground. "Um… I'm not sure I want to." She had been trained by her mother for many dangerous encounters, but never did she think she would feel the need to protect herself from an inanimate object. Still, that thing looked way too scary to go on willingly. Eric stops walking when he feels her resist, and looks back at her alarmed expression.

"Are you scared?" She just nods, and he smiles encouragingly. "I was too, when I went on my first one. I promise it's totally safe. I've been on it hundreds of times."

"Really?" She asks, and looks back up at the coaster. Some of the people leaving it did seem happy, laughing with their friends and reliving the terror animatedly. They were obviously frazzled, but not harmed in any way.

"If you want, you can hold on the entire time. Not everyone likes to put their arms up." His tone isn't mocking, and he waits patiently as she makes her decision. She is acutely aware that he has yet to let go of her hand, and she nods.

"Okay."

xoXox

"There she is!" Logan yells and points when he catches sight of Darcy entering the gate for the roller coaster, holding hands with the brunette they had seen that Easter morning and had heard so much about since then.

"Come on, let's follow them."

"Are you sure we should? That thing doesn't look very safe."

"Dad is counting on us. Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Logan glares at him and takes the initiative, stomping toward the gate and allowing some of the crowd to separate them from their sister as not to be seen. They make sure to turn around when she looks over her shoulder, and for a moment they are afraid that she is onto their game. "Do you think she knows?"

"How could she? Not even mom knows that we're working with dad."

"True."

Their prey moves to the front of the line and the boy gestures for Darcy to get into the cart first, making her smile, and her brothers scoff at the gentlemanly attempt. Unfortunately, the cart fills up before they can get into the same one, and they curse under their breath as it begins the slow ascent to the top of the hill.

"Wow, we're so high." Darcy's eyes widen as she looks over the carnival. "Everyone looks so tiny."

"Yeah. Just wait until this thing takes off. It's crazy fast." He gently puts her hands onto the metal bar across their laps and she glances up at him. "Hold on at first. If you feel brave, then you can let go."

"I _am _brave." Darcy can't help but say, and she smirks at him. Her mother hadn't raised her to be a damsel, and there was no way she was going to let him think of her as one. She makes a point of leaving her hands off of the bar, and when they get to the top of the hill, she lets out a surprised whoop when the coaster begins the rapid descent. They speed up and she screams, but she is grinning, and Eric yells out next to her. "Aaaahhhhh!" She laughs when the coaster makes a speedy turn and pushes her into Eric's side, but he doesn't seem to mind, and they both throw their arms up in the air with the rest of the riders.

She could have sworn that she heard the familiar voices of her brothers, but gets too caught up with the second crest that she brushes it off. There was no reason why they would be there at that moment anyway. When the ride is over, she laughs with Eric as they stumble out of the gate, feeling their stomachs still flip and their legs shake with the remaining sense of weightlessness.

"That was amazing!" Darcy shouts, and tries to fix her windblown hair.

"Fun, right? I told you nothing bad would happen."

"Can we go again?"

xoXox

"We are never _ever _getting on that death trap again!" Logan says, but Cooper just ignores him and continues to hold his hand over his mouth, turning a slight shade of green. "Cooper?" His brother heaves once before rushing over to a trash can and vomiting into it.

"Ewww!" A little girl cries out and runs away from him toward her parents, and Logan cracks up despite his still racing heart.

xoXox

"So tell me something about yourself." Darcy says as they continue to walk through the crowded aisles of rides, games, and food.

"Well I love movies, caramel apples, and long strolls with beautiful ladies." Eric jokes, taking a bite out of the fruit on a stick in his hand. Darcy laughs and smirks at the last one.

"Beautiful, huh?"

"Yep. Especially blondes."

"Hmm." She mumbles, trying not to let her blush reach all the way up to her hairline. She was used to his flirting, but it felt so different now. She didn't really know how to react, and it was making her nervous. "Well thank you for the compliment."

"It's not just a compliment. It's true." He says, and tosses his apple core into a nearby trash can, making a neat basket.

"Not bad, kid!" A man calls out to them as they pass, and Darcy pauses curiously. "Want to try that over here? Get three baskets and win a prize!"

"Oh really?" Eric grins and walks up to the counter of the game booth. There are basketball nets set up, and the man grins as he bounces a ball behind the counter.

"Yep. Want to try to win a prize for the lady?"

"I'll give it a shot." Eric winks at Darcy, making her roll her eyes playfully, and he trades the man some dollar bills for ball. He bounces it a couple of times before glancing up at the basket and shoots, but the ball hits the rim and bounces off, landing on the ground. "Aw, man!"

"Nice try." Darcy tries to make him feel better, but she can tell that once the second one hits the rim as well, he starts to get embarrassed.

"Come on, man! That has to be rigged!"

"Absolutely not. Here, we'll give her a free shot." The man smiles at Darcy and hands her a ball, but she backs up and raises her hands to ward him off.

"Oh, no no! I'm okay, I don't need to try."

"Aw, go ahead." She bites her lip nervously and takes the ball, looking up at the tall basket, and then wishes she didn't try. The ball hits the wall almost directly in front of her and she puts too much force behind it, causing the ball to bounce back and hit Eric right in the stomach.

"Oh!" She cries out when he lets out a wheeze and folds in on himself, his eyes shutting in pain. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I'm sorry!"

"It's fine. Seriously." Eric smiles through his grimace and the man behind the counter flinches.

"Okay, so maybe not everyone can do it."

"I guess I should have said that I've never tried basketball before either." She mumbles. Eric chuckles and shrugs, not wanting to make her feel worse, and he just tosses the forgotten ball back over the counter.

"It's okay, really. I just got the wind knocked out of me. You have some strength behind that arm."

"Uh…" She doesn't know how to respond to that, because she can't very well say that she had been trained by her parents who were both Spirits, and that she could most likely beat him easily in a fight.

"Well, did you want to try a different game?"

"Not unless there's archery somewhere." Her honest mutter makes his eyes widen, but he smiles and nods.

"Actually there is." He takes her hand again and leads the way, and she barely has time to yell at herself for the slip up. "Really? You're into archery?"

"Family trade." Is all she says, and he just nods.

"That's really cool. Do you do it often?"

"Almost every day. It's the one thing I'm really good at, and I want to get better like my uncle." _Shut up, shut up, shut up! _She chants to herself. She had to be more careful, or she was going to end up saying something that wouldn't go over so smoothly.

xoXox

"Alright, this time we are _not _going to lose them." Logan says firmly. He turns to his brother, who has finally gotten over his motion sickness. He still doesn't seem at his best though, and all he can do is shrug at his brother's claim. "I saw them going this way." He practically drags the blonde with him, his eyes scanning the crowd in front of them. He had just seen them… "There!" He rushes forward just in time to see them head toward the Ferris wheel. "Ohh, he's good." The statement is not particularly admiring, and Cooper snatches his arm out of his brother's grasp to see what he's talking about.

"What?"

"He's taking her on the Ferris wheel. Everyone knows that that's what the guys do in the stupid movies when they want to put the moves on a girl."

"_What?"_

"Don't be so naïve Cooper! He's trying to get her _alone!"_

"Oh, shit."

"Precisely. We have to get up there. Dad is counting on us."

"Agreed." They run over to the gate that admits people on the Ferris wheel, and quickly slide into one of the compartments that swings slightly, making Cooper grasp the sides and groan. "This isn't going to be like the roller coaster, is it?"

"No. It's just going to go in a circle again and again and again-"

"Oh, son of a bitch." Cooper closes his eyes as the contraption begins to rise them into the air an arc, and Logan shushes him so he can listen to what Darcy and Eric are saying. They are only a few cars away, and his sensitive ears were very helpful in seeking out only their voices.

Darcy smiles and she clutches a large stuffed panda to her chest as their car rises to the top of the Ferris wheel. She had tried not to show off too much at the archery game, but she couldn't help that her skill was better than Eric's, and she had excelled. Even though he hadn't won it for her, it was still a reminder of their time together, and she just couldn't seem to set the animal down. As the car reaches the top of the wheel and stops, she leans near the side and watches the carnival below them. They had been there long enough that the sun had set, and the lights on the rides made everything glow.

"It looks like Christmas." She gasps, and hears Eric laugh lightly in response. "It's so beautiful. Do you see it?" He mumbles an affirmative, and then moves closer to her and takes her hand in his. She turns to him curiously, and her pulse sky rockets when his face shifts so closer to hers that she can count all of his eyelashes.

"Whoa, whoa! We've stopped." Cooper says, and their car swings from the momentum. He and Logan lean over the side of the car and look above them where Darcy's car shifts slightly. "Can you see them?"

"Yeah. He's too close to her." Logan glares up at them and sees Eric move his head closer to his sister. "He's going to try to kiss her. He waited until they were stopped at the top and he's going to try to kiss her. What a little-"

"Maybe he's just… I don't know, helping her out with her hair or something."

"Don't be an idiot. He's totally going for it."

"What are they saying?"

"I don't know, the stupid carousel started up." He growls as the circus music begins to fill the air, and it drowns out the two voices that he desperately wants to listen to. However, he can still see them, and his eyes narrow when Darcy's head tilts and moves so close to Eric's that he can only assume they are kissing. "No, no, no! This is horrible!"

"What's wrong?"

"He's kissing her. And she's just letting him!"

"Well maybe she really likes him." Cooper's annoyed tone catches his attention, and Logan replays those words in his mind. He had been so hung up on obeying their dad and making sure that no funny business took place that he forgot that it was her who agreed to the date in the first place. But how were they supposed to tell him that they failed, and that they should just let Darcy do whatever she wanted to?

"But Dad asked us to-"

"Well, he doesn't need to know."

"Yeah, good luck keeping this from him. I guarantee you that he finds out about this in less than two days."

xoXox

"Oh mom, it was so amazing." Darcy mumbles as she lies on her bed. "He's just perfect. Well, not perfect. He can't shoot a basketball to save his life, but he's so sweet and respectful. And even when he kissed me, he was such a gentleman."

"That's great, Darcy." Fever grins. "I'm glad it went well."

"But don't tell dad, okay? He'd freak out if he knew."

"I won't tell him. But you know you can't keep it from him forever." She laughs, and Darcy sits up to smile at her. "I'll let you sleep. I just wanted to check on you."

"Thanks. Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight sweetie."

She moves to the door and glances back, watching her daughter cuddle with the panda she had brought home, and she can feel the younger girl's fluttering heartbeat. She hides her knowing smile and closes the door behind her, ready to find her own rest after such a long day.

xoXox

Aster sighs and shakes his head as he makes his way back to the burrow. He had to admit that he was upset his plan didn't work, but he had to credit the boys for trying. He couldn't believe it when they had told him about the kiss. Instantly he had wanted to turn back time to when Darcy was a baby and just keep her that way, but he knew that she was growing up. Fever had of course felt the need to point that out.

His thoughts drift to Mother Nature, promising Darcy a soul mate when she got older. Did she have something to do with this? Aster's eyes narrow at the idea and he quickens his pace to get to the bedroom, not wanting to dwell on it. Surely she wouldn't be so low to go behind their backs and… _And what? Find this kid and make them meet somehow? _It sounded ridiculous, but then again she was a matchmaker just like his girlfriend when it came to certain things, like them in particular. Mother Nature never came right out and said it, but it was clear that she had been involved with their birth, and worked with the Moon to get them close to each other. _And now look at us?_

Aster pushes open the door to the bedroom softly, not wanting to disturb Fever. When he walks in his eyes catch her lying on the bed, and her even breaths tell him that she's sound asleep. A small smile takes over his face as he reaches out a paw to stroke her hair away from her cheek, and she sighs in her sleep, shifting closer to his touch. Mother Nature's words ring in his head. _Love fills a void._

While he didn't entirely like the nymph, she was right. Their love had filled a void he thought would be forever hollow. She brought him happiness, comfort, beautiful children, and so much more in the decades they had been together. His eyes widen at that realization, and his paw freezes its movements. _Over twenty-five years. _He stares down at his girlfriend's peaceful face and swallows roughly with the sudden threat of tears.

"Over twenty-five years you've stuck it out with me." He whispers. She doesn't stir at his voice and just continues to sleep, making him smile. That night early in their parenthood when they talked about Pooka marriage, the thought had sprouted in his head. He knew for a fact that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The surprise on her face at the knowledge of the ceremony didn't give anything away, and it made him somewhat nervous at the thought of proposing. However, his gut was screaming at him to just do it.

Aster looks at her face once more, and sees their children reflected in her, and all of the love that has blossomed over the years between them. She was his other half, and now he felt as if he couldn't wait another moment to make it official. He lowers his head and places a kiss on her forehead, making the first of many vows to come.

"I will love you forever."

xoXox

**Author's Note: **Mhmm… things just got seriously serious. Review please!


	25. permission required

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 25:

_It was the perfect moment. The sun was setting over the horizon, bathing the sky in a beautiful lavender and orange haze. Fever's head was resting on his shoulder and she seemed completely content to just sit there with him. He could only hope that she wanted to do it for eternity. Aster takes a deep breath and rests his paw on her hand, making her glance at him. _

_ "Fever, I love you so much." He whispers, and she smiles, making her eyes light up. He can't help but smile also, and he turns to face her fully, his heart pounding. When he pulls his other paw in front of them, showing her the tiny velvet box, her eyes widen in surprise, and she looks up at him curiously. "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, will you marry me?" He stares at her, waiting for her answer, and he feels a moment of relief when she smiles and her mouth opens to say the word, "yes." _

_Suddenly, the box floats up out of his paw and he watches helplessly as it explodes, shards littering the once beautiful sky as it darkens. Fever's once peaceful face contorts and becomes wrathful, her teeth gritting and her eyes becoming red in her fiery anger._

"_What?" She grasps the somehow pristine ring directly out of the air in between them, and Aster feels his heart breaking in realization that she would never say yes. She closes her fist around the ring and screams at him. "I would never marry you! Ever!" Fire erupts from her hand and he jumps back, crying out in shock and the pain of heartbreak. "What makes you think you would ever be good enough?" She opens her hand, and the black ashes that were once his hopes and dreams fall to the ground. Lightning strikes the space between them, cracking the earth and creating a crevice, the ground rumbling beneath them._

"_Fever, please!" He begs, tears beginning to make his vision blurry. But he can still see her, and she is looking at him as if he were dirt, shaking her head. _

"_I don't love you. How could I?" She laughs cruelly, and turns her back on him. She begins to walk away, and he cries out, reaching out for her._

"_No! Don't leave! Please!" His begging falls on deaf ears and he rises, trying to run after her. She continues to walk away from him, her figure becoming smaller and smaller with every step, and he uses the last of his strength to jump. For a moment he thinks he'll make it, but just as his feet reach the other side of the fissure in the ground, more of it gives way, and he screams as he is enveloped completely by darkness as he falls…_

Aster awakes with a start, instinctively throwing his arms out. Unfortunately Fever is curled up to him as he does so, and he hits her so hard that she jerks away with a cry. She looks down at him and sees the panic in his eyes, and rests a hand gently on his chest as his heartbeat hammers against her palm.

"Thumper? Are you okay?" She asks, her other hand going to his cheek as he wakes up fully. His eyes latch onto her and stay there, and he breathes heavily, his body still on high alert from the nightmare.

"Fever?"

"I'm here." She whispers, and he sits up slowly, his eyes roaming around the burrow. When he realizes that it was all a horrible dream, a wry laugh leaves him, and he runs a hand over his face. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah." _And it was terrible, _he thinks to himself. He had only made the decision to propose the day before, and the stress was obviously already wearing on him. Aster glances up at Fever's face, and the concern in her dark brown eyes makes him sigh. He knew that she loved him, but there was still this horrible lingering doubt in the back of his mind, even though it was irrational.

Fever waits until he seems more like himself before she lies back down, gesturing for him to do the same.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." His answer is so swift that it makes her raise an eyebrow, but he just shakes his head. He can tell that she's still worried though, so he wraps his arms around her and mumbles for her to go back to sleep. When she tries to do so, resting her head on his chest, he just lies there for a few minutes, catching his breath and staring up at the ceiling of the burrow.

As he continues to lay there with her, the adrenaline from his dream wears off, and he closes his eyes, listening to Fever's even breathing. He felt no need to tell her what his nightmare had been about, as it was already subsiding into a distant memory. Besides, if he did, it would ruin the entire proposal, and he was still determined to go through with it. Now all he had to do was figure out how.

xoXox

Making the decision to propose was the easy part. The hard part was gaining the courage to actually do it. Aster isn't sure what makes him do it, but sets out to find Val and ask him for his blessing. It seemed silly considering that he and Fever had been together for so long, and he couldn't imagine the man saying anything against it, but he still wanted to do it. If anything, it would take one more worry off of his list.

Aster runs through his tunnels, replaying what he is going to say over and over in his head. _Mate, I would really appreciate it if you'd allow me to marry your sister, _he thinks with a chuckle. _Yeah, that will go well. _He hoped he wasn't this nervous when he actually asked Fever, or he would never get the words out. He opens the tunnel in the area where he knows Val will be working and begins to look for him. It is in the middle of the day, and it is easy to spot the one person who looks completely out of place in both manner and dress.

Val stands on top of a roof, staring down at a teenaged couple who are fumbling through a first date. Aster makes sure not to sneak up on the arrow wielding man, and calls out to him from a safe distance away. Val turns in surprise and then smiles at his soon to be brother-in-law, waving him forward.

"Hey, Bunny. Good timing, I was just about to shoot those two. Want to watch?" He grins, and Aster manages not to cringe. Sometimes the blonde man's words just came out completely wrong. Thankfully he knows what he means and just shakes his head.

"Uh, no thanks. I actually wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Val mumbles and notches his arrow, aiming it at the boy below them. "What about?"

"It's kind of a-"

"Don't tell me. It's a relationship issue, isn't it?" He lets the arrow fly and it hits the boy directly in the back, making him jump slightly in his seat as his eyes latch onto the girl's. Aster watches curiously as the boy suddenly blushes, and stammers something to her, resulting in a nod and a laugh. "Perfect. So what's the problem?"

"It's not exactly a problem." Aster says, and Val seems to realize that his tone is off, because he turns around to face him fully and slings his bow onto his back. "Can we talk in private?" Val looks surprised at the request, but nods and reaches a hand out, which Aster takes immediately.

They teleport to Cyprus and Val takes him into the library where he knows Fever would be least likely to check first if she did come home. He pulls out a chair from the table in the middle of the room and motions for Aster to sit before doing the same.

"Alright, I've broken my connection to Fever for a little bit. We're as private as we're going to get. What's up?" He asks, folding his hands in front of him formally. Aster shifts uncomfortably and glances down at the table, trying to remember how he was going to say it.

"I want to… um…"

"Yes?"

"I want to ask Fever to marry me." Aster looks up at Val's face to see how he'll handle it, and it is blank for a few moments before his eyes narrow and his mouth twists in anger.

"No." Aster's jaw drops and he scrambles for words, and then Val is laughing, slapping the wooden table and pointing at him. "You actually believed that! Oh, the look on your face was priceless!" Aster stares at him, and when the matchmaker continues to laugh, he realizes that he had been at the bad end of a joke. "Ah, that was great. I'm just kidding, man!"

"So glad you find me funny." Aster grumbles, and Val shrugs and tries to look apologetic. "So what's your _real _answer?"

"My real answer is that it's about damned time." He says bluntly, and Aster is once again caught off guard. "Honestly, I don't know why you didn't do this sooner. You guys have been together for what, twenty two years?"

"Almost twenty-six." He mumbles, and Val nods and rises from his chair, moving across the room.

"I always knew you two were compatible." He says, opening one of the cabinets by the bookshelf. "But I have to say that you've done everything out of order. I mean, aren't you supposed to fall in love, get married, and _then_ have a kid?" Val doesn't wait for answer, just picks up a bottle of brown alcohol and two glasses. "But no, you guys hated each other, fell in love, hated each other again for a small amount of time, fell back in love, and then had _three _children. And now you're planning on marrying her." He laughs and shakes his head, bringing the two now full glasses to the table and handing one to Aster. "It's pretty out of order."

"It's not my fault that Mother Nature had different plans for us."

"Mhm." Val mumbles. "At any rate, I'm glad you've gotten your head out of your ass and decided to do this. Cheers!" He touches their glasses and drinks, and Aster just shakes his head with a smirk.

"Thanks for the support, mate." He lifts his own glass and drinks, thankful to have jumped that hurdle.

"I didn't even know Pooka got married." Val says curiously, sitting back in his chair.

"It's more of just a joining ceremony. But there are vows like in a mortal wedding."

"Vows you intend to keep?"

"Absolutely." Aster holds his gaze, and Val nods in approval.

"Good. So do you know how you're going to do it yet?"

"No. I want it to be special, though."

"Special is good. What about the ring?"

"Uhh…" The look on Val's face makes him feel two inches tall, and he blushes under his fur as he realizes that he hadn't even thought about it. There _was _a ring in his nightmare, but Pooka never used rings in their ceremonies, so it had completely slipped his mind.

"Seriously? You don't even have an engagement ring?" All he can do is shrug, and Val sighs, motioning for him to get up. "Come on. We're going shopping."

xoXox

"I don't have any money." Aster feels the need to point out. He stares at all of the glittering stones around them as he follows Val through the mortal jewelry store. It was full of couples, making Val smile even though they couldn't see it. They are completely invisible among the adults, but they still do their best to move in between them without touching. The prices on some of the diamonds make Aster choke, and he glares at the back of Val's head when the other man just seems to ignore his claim. "Val!"

"I heard you. And we're not actually going to buy any of these. This is just for inspiration. I'll have the cherubs make one for Fever."

"Do you know what she would like?"

"Do _you?" _They stop before a counter full of sparkling jewelry and Aster's brow furrows as he tries to think of any jewels Fever had mentioned liking while they were together. She had never been one for diamonds, that much he knew, but there was something that she always admired.

"She likes amber." Val nods in approval and points to some of the rings in the case next to them.

"So these are your basic settings. We can put hers in the metal we use for our weapons. It doesn't tarnish, and it will be damned well indestructible." Aster glances up at him and sighs.

"Thanks for helping me out with this."

"No problem. I still can't believe it's taken this long, you know. What's stopped you?" Val asks, his tone merely curious. Aster sighs and allows his eyes to roam over the different shapes of stones as he answers.

"I was just scared, I guess."

"Of what?"

"Rejection, what else?"

"Well that's silly. She loves you. Why would she reject you?"

"I don't know. I guess there's a part of me that wonders why she'd choose me of all people." Aster hadn't thought of it before, but saying it out loud makes it resonate within him, and he realizes that it's true. He couldn't imagine not having her after so long, and sometimes he felt as if the phrase "too good to be true" would come kick him in the ass. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm enough for her."

"Maybe you should ask her that yourself." Val says softly. "But if you'd like my two cents, I'd say that you don't have anything to worry about."

"But you yourself said that it's taken me too long. What if she feels the same way, and so she says no?"

"That's no reason to say no." Val says with a frown. "I wouldn't worry about that either. You've both been really busy, you know with the kids and stuff."

"Yeah…" Aster mumbles, not quite convinced.

"Look, none of your fears are going to subside until you just ask her. I honestly can't answer all of your questions for you, and I can practically hear your nerves screaming at me along with your heartbeat." He smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Just trust me when I tell you that Fever loves you much more than she would have imagined possible. If she doesn't marry you, then she's an idiot." Aster laughs and smiles at him.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now let's pick out something she'll like."

xoXox

Fever returns to the Warren with a smile, her arms full of carrots for her family. There had been a beautiful crop in the Northern states and she wanted to surprise them. The surprise is on her though, when she shows up in the burrow and there is no sign of her boyfriend.

"Aster?" She calls out, setting the carrots down and checking the other rooms. When it is obvious that he is not there, she considers that he could be working on the plants or something else outside, so she walks into the sunshine and searches for him with the same results. "Where are you?" She wouldn't usually get worried, but he had seemed so shaken that night he was awoken by that nightmare, and his mood had remained off since then. She just wanted to make sure that he was okay, which was hard to do when he was nowhere to be found.

She moves into the middle of the Warren and hears her other name being called. She turns to see Logan walking toward her, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Hey, have you seen dad?"

"I was just looking for him myself. Has he been gone all day?"

"I think so. He left pretty early."

"Hm." She tries not to look too worried, and smiles at her son. "Well, I'm sure he'll turn up soon. Help me with dinner?"

"Sure." He follows her back to the main burrow where they usually eat and glances up at her. "I'm sure he's fine, you know."

"Oh, I know."

"Do you?"

"No." She laughs, and shakes her head when she realizes just how much her children have grown. There were times like these that they seemed so much older that their biological age, and it was strange to hear them speak to her in a way that a parent should speak to a child rather than the other way around. "It's just so strange of him to disappear like this and not say anything." Then a thought strikes her, and she laughs again.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that this must have been how he felt when I found out I was pregnant with you; worried sick and confused as to why I would spend so much time away from home."

"So you guys _do _keep secrets from each other." Logan says, helping her unpack the food she had brought home. He grins when he reaches the carrots, and it makes her feel a little bit better. At least _someone _would enjoy them.

"Not really. Well… no, no we don't." Her eyes widen at that. In the beginning of their relationship there was a lot to learn. They often _did _keep secrets from each other, and even when they didn't there wasn't enough communication between them like during the third "shedding season" blow out. But later, especially after the kids had been born, they had gotten the hang of sharing their thoughts and emotions, so this sudden silence on his end was bizarre.

Thankfully he does make an appearance by the time dinner is on the table, and their other two children show up as well. He doesn't seem as upset as he was the night he awoke from his nightmare, and for that she is thankful. Still, she can tell that there's something he's not telling her, and that makes her worry. She was telling the truth when she told Logan that they didn't keep secrets from each other, and she would hate to be proven a liar.

xoXox

**Author's Note:** I noticed some more favorites and followers this week, so thank you to the newcomers! I hope you continue to love this one for the next seven or so chapters we have left. As always, review please!


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